3.1 million minimum wage workers are getting a New Year's raise

3.1 million minimum wage workers are getting a New Year's raise
(Image credit: iStock)

As 2015 dawns, the federal minimum wage of $7.25 is being left in the dust by a raft of new state minimum wage hikes.

Twenty states are enacting new wage laws by today; the pay increases range from a few pennies per hour in Florida and Mississippi to a dollar or more in states like Massachusetts. Twenty-nine states, all told, will have minimum wages above $7.25 by the end of January.

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Mike Barry

Mike Barry is the senior editor of audience development and outreach at TheWeek.com. He was previously a contributing editor at The Huffington Post. Prior to that, he was best known for interrupting a college chemistry class.