Here you can check the increase to the minimum wage state by state. The labor market is failing to emerge from the crisis, with hundreds of thousands of new unemployment claims every week and federal government aid delayed, but there is good news for some workers in the country.
As of this Friday, January 1, about twenty states are increasing their minimum wages, some by cents and others by a dollar or more, to try to bring profits up to the cost of living.
In New Mexico, the minimum wage will increase to $10.50, $1.50 more than the current one, according to a CNN recount. In California, employers with 26 or more workers will have to pay a wage of $14 per hour, a dollar more than they do now. This is the highest state-based wage in the country. In contrast, Florida only grants a nine-cent increase.
At the federal level, the minimum wage remains at the same level as in 2009: $7.25 per hour. There are 20 states that set a minimum wage of this amount or less in 2021.
The raises are a breath of fresh air for millions of families who have essential jobs and are struggling through an economic recession, with little room to negotiate their hourly pay with their employers.
“We have many low-wage service workers who are working during the pandemic crisis, many of whom have jobs with a higher risk of infection,” said Ken Jacobs of the University of California-Berkeley.
A total of 14 million Americans were also unable to renew their unemployment benefits by the end of the year because of delays in the new federal aid package. Experts estimate that they may have to wait weeks to receive payments.
Minimum Wages, State by State
Some states will have a raise of only 8 to 20 cents, with the following minimum wages: Alaska, $10.34; Arizona, $12.15; Florida, $8.65; Maine, $12.15; Minnesota, $10.08; Montana, $8.75; Ohio, $8.80; South Dakota, $9.45; and Washington, $13.69.
Colorado records a 32-cent increase, bringing its salary to $12.32. Others gave a little more, between 70 and 85 cents, such as Maryland, up to $11.75; Massachusetts, $13.50; Missouri, $10.30; New York, $12.50; and Vermont, $11.75. Finally, New Mexico had the largest increase: $1.5, with a minimum wage of $10.50 in 2021.
Workers will be paid an extra dollar starting in January in the states of Arkansas, up to $11.00; California, $14.00; Illinois, $11.00; and New Jersey, $12.00.
More requests for unemployment and delayed benefits
Difficulties in buying food, paying rent and basic services are compounded by the high rates of layoffs in the country.
In the last week, there were 841,000 new applications for unemployment benefits, the Labor Department reported Thursday. In addition, there were 308,000 applications to a federal unemployment program for part-time workers, self-employed workers and others who usually cannot apply for regular benefits.
A total of 14 million people receive unemployment benefits, but have suffered delays in their allocations due to the delay of the president, Donald Trump, in signing the last stimulus package approved by Congress.
Two federal unemployment assistance programs were due to expire at midnight on Saturday, December 26. The new legislation established an extension until mid-March, and an additional weekly payment of $300, but because Trump signed the law on Sunday, the programs expired. Payments are not expected to resume until next week.
It can take states two to three weeks to update their systems to resume aid programs and pay the additional $300, Michele Evermore, an analyst with the National Employment Law Project, a workers’ advocacy group, told the Associated Press.