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By Jeanne Sahadi
CNN Money, December 19, 2016

Come the new year, millions of the lowest-wage workers across the country will get a raise. Some of those raises will be very minor -- a cost of living adjustment amounting to an extra nickel or dime an hour. But in several places the jump will be between $1 and $2 an hour.

Even that may not sound like a lot, but it can provide a full-time worker with another $40 to $80 a week. That money, in turn, can make it easier to pay for essential expenses, such as groceries, commuting and keeping the lights on.

All told, the minimum wage is set to rise in 21 states, at least 22 cities, four counties and one region. The majority of those increases will take place on Jan. 1, but in Maryland, Oregon and Washington, D.C., they go into effect in July. Meanwhile, the state of New York will be bumping up minimum pay on New Year's Eve of this year. The biggest minimum wage raises, percentage wise, will be in Arizona (up 24% to $10), Maine (up 20% to $9) and three Silicon Valley cities (up 20% to $12). ...

But not all employer groups oppose higher wages for the lowest paid. Business for a Fair Minimum Wage, which is funded primarily by foundations and individual businesses, often notes the potential advantages of a higher minimum, including lower employee turnover and increased productivity. ...

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