sourceAccording to the Economic Policy Institute, a liberal research group, 19 states and the District of Columbia previously had wages higher than the federal minimum.
That leaves 31 states affected by the higher federal minimum wage: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
The Economic Policy Institute estimates that about 4.5 million employees, less than 4 percent of the labor force, will see a bump in their hourly wages. But not all of those affected will actually be minimum wage earners. Let me explain.
The bulk of these workers — about 2.8 million people — currently earn less than $7.25, and will receive an immediate raise. But the institute estimates that an additional 1.6 million workers earning slightly above the minimum will be “indirectly” affected because of “spillover effect” — businesses trying to preserve their wage structures.
Considering that the minimum wage just rose to $7.25 from $6.55, what do you think the minimum wage should be? Should it be 9.00$/hr or lower higher what do you think?
