By Kevin Hardy
Stateline, June 24, 2026
Workers in more than 20 cities and states will see the minimum wage increase next month as local governments continue to raise the wage floor amid federal inaction. ... Alaska and Oregon will see statewide increases in the wage floor July 1 ...
But proponents say that a higher wage floor is needed to keep up with rising costs and that workers tend to spend more as their wages go up, boosting the overall economy.
David Ottoson, who owns the retail store Rainbow Foods in downtown Juneau, Alaska, said the state’s minimum wage levels the playing field for businesses. In a news release from the advocacy organization Business for a Fair Minimum Wage, he credited higher wages as playing a role in the longevity of his natural foods grocery store, which has operated since 1980.
“We’re doing well, and a big reason is that we treat fair wages as an investment. They’re how you keep good people and run a business that lasts,” Ottoson said in the release. ...