'A National Disgrace': 19 States to Raise Minimum Wage But ...
One Fair Wage noted that "tipped workers can still legally be paid as little as $2.13 an hour, a system advocates describe as a direct legacy of slavery."
www.commondreams.orgHere’s the latest on federal minimum wage in 2026.
- The federal minimum wage remains at $7.25 per hour as of 2026. Several outlets note there has been ongoing discussion about raising it, but no enacted federal change has occurred yet.[3][4]
- In 2026, a number of states and localities have boosted their own minimum wages well above the federal floor, with many schedules set for January 1, 2026 and additional increases later in the year. For example, states like Washington, California, Connecticut, New York (regionally), Hawaii, Colorado, and New Jersey implemented higher state minimums, some indexed to inflation or CPI.[2][4][5][7][3]
- Coverage varies by state and locality: several articles summarize that dozens of states and many cities/counties raised wages in 2026, while others held at or near the federal level. The general trend is rising pay at the state/local level even as the federal baseline remains unchanged.[5][7][3]
Illustration example
- If you work in California, your minimum wage for 2026 is higher than the federal floor due to state law, with ongoing inflation-based adjustments anticipated in future years; in contrast, the federal baseline remains $7.25 nationwide. This reflects the broader pattern where local and state actions set higher minimums even when federal policy lags.[2][3]
Notes
- The information reflects multiple outlets reporting through late 2025 and early 2026. If you want, I can pull up the most current state-by-state table or provide a tailored summary for your city or company payroll.
Citations
- Federal baseline remains $7.25 in 2026.[7][3]
- State and local increases in 2026 (examples and summary).[3][5][7][2]