On January 1, 2023, Minnesota, along with 22 states and Washington DC, raised its minimum wage. This move is estimated to raise the wages of 8.4 million workers across the country by a collective $5 billion. The workers most affected by these changes are—perhaps, unsurprisingly—women and workers of color. 58.7% of the workers whose wages increased are estimated to be women, 21% are Hispanic workers, and 12.2% are Black workers.
Here in Minnesota, the minimum wage increased to $10.33 compared with the federal minimum wage of $7.25. While Minnesota’s increase was neither among the largest or smallest increases, this current increase in the minimum wage is a larger bump than past increases in the state.
This is potentially good news for many Minnesotans who are earning the minimum wage. Studies have shown that of the 20 states who have not increased the federal minimum wage of $7.25, 16 have 12% or more child poverty rates. Additionally, an analysis from the Congressional Budget Office demonstrated that an increase of the federal minimum wage to $15 would lift 500,000 children out of poverty. Which seems to demonstrate a correlation between raising the minimum wage and getting children out of poverty.
We hope that the increases in Minnesota in 2023 will better help families make ends meet. Only time will tell. In the meantime, thousands of Minnesotans have seen their wages increase overnight and we hope that is just the beginning of good news for these Minnesotans in 2023.
