Minimum wage workers in more than 20 states are getting a bump up in pay for 2025, thanks to new laws that took effect on January 1st.
The Economic Policy Institute reports that more than 9 million workers across 21 states got a raise on New Years Day, while another 48 cities and counties across the nation raised their minimum wage above their own state level.
Specifically, the Institute notes that most of the changes are in states with legislation that index minimum wage to inflation. The average worker in these states can expect to make around $420 more per year.
In its findings, EPI recorded that women make up nearly 60% of workers getting a raise. More than 25% of affected workers are parents, and 1 in 5 affected workers are in families with incomes below the poverty line.
Below is a graph map of state minimum wage increases for 2025.
“These additional earnings are critical for ensuring workers don’t lose ground due to rising prices, but the minimum wage level may still be too low, especially if the minimum wage was indexed years ago and not revisited since,” economic analyst Sebastian Martinez Hickey wrote in the report.
Georgia is not one of the states that increased its minimum wage for 2025. Most workers in Georgia who make minimum wage will earn $7.25 an hour, which is the same as the federal minimum wage rate.
According to the Department of Labor, Georgia’s official minimum wage is $5.15 per hour. However, this lower wage rate rarely applies, thanks to the higher federal rate.
What do you think about the increases in minimum wage across the US for 2025? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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