By Sean Salai
Washington Times, January 2, 2026
Hourly workers in 19 states will receive salary bumps in their next paychecks ...
“State and local minimum wage increases are crucial, wherever they are possible, as the federal minimum wage falls further and further behind the cost of living,” Holly Sklar, CEO of the advocacy group Business for a Fair Minimum Wage, said in a statement shared Friday with The Washington Times.
Ms. Sklar said regular wage increases foster economic growth, reduce employee turnover and mitigate the rising costs of living for these workers.
Since 2009, when the federal minimum wage rose to its current level of $7.25 per hour, dozens of states and cities have periodically raised their minimum above it. ...