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  • February 11, 2025
Trump could raise the federal minimum wage: Map shows wages in every state

Trump could raise the federal minimum wage: Map shows wages in every state

  • President-elect Donald Trump said in an interview that aired Sunday that he “would consider” raising the federal minimum wage.
  • Since 2009, this has been $7.25 per hour; However, thirty states and D.C. have raised their minimums above the federal level.
  • Here’s the state of play in each state and the wage increases both parties have proposed.

President-elect Donald Trump said he would consider raising interest rates federal minimum wage. It’s been $7.25 per hour since 2009although 30 states and a slew of cities have implemented higher rates.

“It’s a very low number,” Trump said in an interview “Meet the Press” which aired on Sunday. While he didn’t commit to a specific level, he said a federal minimum of $8 or $9 “could have very little impact” because of the low cost of living in some areas.

Any increase in the federal minimum wage would directly impact workers in at least the United States Twenty states where the minimum wage was at or below the federal level as of July Ministry of Labor. Most minimum wage jobs are in the service sectorlargely in food preparation and serving related functions.

Washington DC has a higher minimum wage of $17.50 than any state in the country, although some US cities have raised it even more. Washington state, with a minimum wage of $16.28, and California, with a minimum wage of $16, came in second and third, respectively.

On January 1, 21 states – and 48 cities and counties – will see their minimum wages increase, mainly due to existing laws. National Employment Law Project. In the most recent election, Missouri voted to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2026, and Alaska voted to raise the minimum wage to $15 by mid-2027.

The last federal minimum increase was in July 2009, from $6.55 to $7.25. Since then, overall inflation has been based on the consumer price index is up about 47% in the US since October.

Trump pointed this out in his ‘Meet the Press’ interview the cost of living varies from state to state, and a federal wage may not be a one-size-fits-all solution.

“The other thing that’s really complicated about the minimum wage is that the places are so different,” he said. “Mississippi and Alabama and great places are very different than New York or California when it comes to the cost of living and other things.”

Indeed, regional price parities Data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis shows that Mississippi and Alabama had among the lowest costs of living in the country in 2022, while California and New York were more expensive than the national average. Alabama and Mississippi have no minimum wage laws. The minimum wage in New York is $16 in New York City, Long Island and Westchester, and $15 for the rest of the state.

While Trump said the wage changes were similar to those in California – which were going up it to $20 for fast food workers in April – may be going too far, “there’s a level at which you could absolutely do it.” He said he wanted to speak to governors first before making any changes.

President Joe Biden supported a $15 wagewhich includes every Republican senator and eight Democrats eventually voted against. Some lawmakers on the left have gone even further, and Senator Bernie Sanders has pushed for that increase the wage to $17 by 2028.

Some Republicans have also proposed raising the federal minimum wage. While still in the Senate, newly elected Vice President J.D. Vance co-sponsored one account to gradually increase it to $11, although that bill also includes additional measures such as increasing fines for employers who hire workers living in the country illegally.

The Trump-Vance transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider about Trump’s possible plans for the minimum wage.