2022 Will See Record Number of Minimum Wage Increases

According to a new report, the National Employment Law Project (NELP) found that 25 states and 56 municipalities will raise their minimum wages by the end of 2022. In many areas, the wage increase will meet or exceed $15 per hour. Companies are experiencing a labor shortage with workers quitting in large numbers, some permanently, citing low pay as one of the major culprits. Others have engaged in strikes or other forms of worker-led activism. The wage increase is meant to boost the lagging workforce and entice people who are perhaps hesitant to work outside their homes to seek jobs in the public sector.

Demands for a higher minimum wage increased with the COVID-19 pandemic, NELP writes: “Low pay, a lack of job security, and poor working conditions are endemic to service and other frontline jobs, with disproportionate effects on Black women, Latinas, and Asian Americans of any gender.”

There are 10 states with laws in place looking to reach a minimum wage of $15 or more by a specific amount of time, including California, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, and Rhode Island. The 10th state, New York, has a law that says minimum wage will increase until it reaches $15. Minimum wages are at $15 per hour already in New York City and Westchester County for all fast food employees statewide.

Especially during a global pandemic, we shouldn't have to choose between our health and a paycheck. We demand $15/hr, paid sick leave and union rights for all workers. #Fightfor15 pic.twitter.com/8rvEyZHIeQ

— Fight For 15 (@fightfor15) January 3, 2022

Twenty-one states and 35 cities and counties will increase their minimum wage on Saturday, with the rest following suit later in the year. Some of the states that increased their minimum wages on January 1st increased their rates by $1 or more. In California, the minimum wage increased to $14 for small employers and $15 for large employers from $13 and $14, respectively. Conversely, 20 states have not raised their minimum wages above the federal pay level, which has remained at $7.25 per hour since 2009.

It's not easy to stand up to your boss and say, 'you know what? I'm a human being, I have rights, I deserve to be treated with respect and dignity.' But all over this country, you're seeing workers standing up, organizing, and fighting back. Solidarity — that's how you win power.

— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) January 3, 2022

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November 2022 will mark the 10-year anniversary of Fight for $15, the campaign led by workers of color demanding a $15 minimum wage and a union.

Companies like @CarlsJr and @McDonalds created climates of fear in the workplace around COVID. We're taking a stand. We're fighting back.#FightFor15 pic.twitter.com/oCl1wGbHTS

— Fight For 15 (@fightfor15) January 3, 2022