Minimum wages in Washington will increase in 2019 (plus, notes from several recent additions to the minimum wage literature)
In 2019, the state minimum wage will increase to $12.00 (from $11.50 in 2018). This rate was established in I-1433, which voters approved in 2016. The minimum wage will then increase to $13.50 in 2020, and after that it will be indexed to inflation. The minimum wage in three cities is higher than the statewide […]
27th of June 2017
Novel research adds to our understanding of Seattle’s minimum wage
The UW team that is studying the impacts of Seattle’s minimum wage ordinance released a study yesterday that finds that the increase to $13 last year (for some large employers) resulted in reduced hours for low-wage workers, which had the net effect of lowering their earnings by $125 a month on average. This study is […]
21st of June 2017
Study finds minimal impacts from Seattle minimum wage law, but the jury’s still out
A new study from Michael Reich, Sylvia Allegretto, and Anna Godoey of the University of California, Berkeley looks at the effects of Seattle’s minimum wage ordinance. The headline finding is that, as the Seattle Times puts it, “Seattle’s minimum-wage law has led to higher pay for restaurant workers without affecting the overall number of jobs […]
3rd of October 2016
Washington's minimum wage will increase in 2017, whether or not I-1433 approved
Washington's minimum wage will increase next year to $9.53 per hour, according to the Department of Labor & Industries. The increase will occur because the Consumer Price Index (CPI) has increased, and the minimum wage in our state is indexed to inflation. The minimum wage has been $9.47 since 2015 — CPI declined in 2015, so […]
15th of August 2016
21st of April 2016
A baseline for future study of Seattle's minimum wage
The UW research team that is studying Seattle's minimum wage ordinance released a report earlier this week that provides baseline employer survey and worker interview information. (There will be more reports from the team as time goes on.) Under the ordinance, the minimum wage in the city will gradually increase to $15 (how quickly depends […]
13th of January 2016
12th of January 2016
Paid sick leave and minimum wage action in Washington
Yesterday the Spokane City Council voted to require employers in the city to provide workers with paid sick leave. The city clerk has not yet produced the final text; the ordinance was amended and passed late last night. But the Spokesman-Review reports that employers with more than 10 employees would have to provide five days […]
26th of August 2015
22nd of October 2014
Trade-offs of a higher minimum wage include automation
McDonald’s had a “dreadful” earnings report this week, according to a Wall Street Journal editorial. So even one of the world’s most ubiquitous consumer brands cannot print money at its pleasure. This may be news to liberal pressure groups that have lately been demanding that government order the chain known for cheap food to somehow […]