Wednesday, March 31, 2021
In January 2021, legislators introduced the “Raise the Wage Act of 2021,” to increase the federal minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $15 an hour by 2025. If passed, it would be the first increase in more than a decade, the longest stretch since 1938.
While the federal minimum wage has remained stagnant, many state and local governments have already implemented a $15 minimum wage. (For example, in 2014, Seattle required businesses to incrementally increase their minimum wage until it reaches $15 an hour. In 2021, the Seattle minimum wage is $16.69 an hour.) Nevertheless, such a massive overhaul at the federal level is sure to be contentious among many and will be debated intensely.