When will Wisconsins minimum wage workers actually see a raise?
Earlier today I was looking at a report on the website for the Economic Policy Institute that broke down when many states will first begin seeing the benefits of the new minimum wage increase as passed by Congress late last month. As the new increase is set up the federal minimum wage won’t hit $7.25 per hour until July 24, 2009. Wisconsin will stay at $6.50 per hour until July 24, 2008 when minimum wage earners will see a whopping $.05 pay increase. The wage will stay at $6.55 per hour until we step up to $7.25 with the rest of the country in 2009. Well, not the whole country. A number of other states, such as Illinois to the south, have taken the humanitarian and progressive path of indexing minimum wage increases to inflation. By July 24, 2009 our neighbors will be enjoying a minimum wage of $8.00 per hour. In fact, 13 states will enjoy a minimum wage higher than the federal by that point (33 do now). California and Massachusetts will be at $8 per hour, Washington state at $8.27, Ve
