Workers In Majority Of U.S. States To See An Increase In Minimum Wage In 2020

NEW YORK, Dec. 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Many states across the country are just days away from implementing significant changes in the minimum wage, according to payroll experts Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory U.S. With the clock ticking, a total of 26 states and the District of Columbia will raise the minimum wage in 2020, with 22 of those states implementing the increases by January 1.

The highest rates in the nation are found at the municipal level. Seattle has the highest minimum wage rate at $16.00 per hour for large employers and $15.00 for small employers. New York City's minimum wage is set at $15.00 per hour for all employers.

California will raise the minimum wage rates by $1 on January 1 ($12.00 per hour for employers with 25 employees or less, and $13.00 per hour for employers with 26 employees or more), while the highest state rate will remain in Washington at $13.50 per hour. A few states' wages remain on the lower end of the spectrum, with some state minimums coming in below the federal wage rate, and others with a slower incremental increase. The lowest minimum wage rates of $5.15 are in Georgia and Wyoming. However, most employers and employees would be subject to the higher federal minimum wage rate of $7.25 per hour.

"The increases indicate a move toward ensuring a living wage for people across several states," said Barbara O'Dell, JD, an Employment Law Analyst for Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory U.S. "Some of the new rates are the result of previously approved incremental increases to reach a specific amount that is considered to be a living wage such as California, Colorado, Maine, Washington, whereas other states' increases reflect an annual cost-of-living adjustment, such as Alaska, Florida, Minnesota, Montana."

Those states following the step-up approach tend to have higher minimum wage rates than those taking a cost-of-living adjustment approach. The trend towards regional minimum wages, such as those in New York and Oregon, also reflect lawmakers' recognition that costs of living are higher in large metro areas than they are in other parts of the state.

Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory U.S. summarizes the states that will be impacted in 2020 here.

About Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory U.S.

Wolters Kluwer (WKL) is a global leader in professional information, software solutions, and services for the healthcare; tax and accounting; governance, risk and compliance; and legal and regulatory sectors. Wolters Kluwer helps its customers make critical decisions every day by providing expert solutions that combine deep domain knowledge with advanced technology and services.

Wolters Kluwer reported 2018 annual revenues of €4.3 billion. The group serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries, and employs approximately 19,000 people worldwide. The company is headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands.

Wolters Kluwer shares are listed on Euronext Amsterdam (WKL) and are included in the AEX and Euronext 100 indices. Wolters Kluwer has a sponsored Level 1 American Depositary Receipt (ADR) program. The ADRs are traded on the over-the-counter market in the U.S. (WTKWY).

For more information about Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory U.S., visit www.WoltersKluwerLR.com, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.