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We write a lot and that makes it hard to find the time to catch up on our latest research. To make our work easier to digest in 2018 we are breaking reports up into smaller bite size pieces and posting them here. This post is the second in a series of six highlighting key findings from our latest report The Pennsylvania Minimum Wage in 2018. Netflix down? Can’t read another grim news story?
How does the minimum wage in Pennsylvania compare to the minimum in other states? As of January 2018, the minimum wage in Pennsylvania is lower than in each of its bordering states. At $7.25, the Pennsylvania minimum wage is 13.8% below the minimum in Delaware and 43.4% lower than in most of New York state.
How has the minimum wage changed since December 2013? Altogether, the minimum wage has increased in 26 states. That figure includes all six states that border Pennsylvania (plus the District of Columbia). In these six states and D.C., the minimum wage increased by an average of 26% between December 2013 and January 2018.
How will the minimum wage change in the years ahead? Laws already on the books will lead to further increases in the minimum wage between now and January 2024. There is a 29% increase scheduled for most of New York State (minimum wages are higher now and will increase a further 26% in New York City, Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester Counties), a 28% increase is on the books in D.C., a 15% increase will occur in New Jersey and Ohio, and finally a further 9% increase is schedule for Maryland. There are active campaigns to raise the minimum wage beyond these scheduled increases in New Jersey and Maryland, so it is likely that in the region the minimum wage will rise further before 2024.
In our next post we will explore how wages across the region have changed in a low wage industry, food services and drinking places. |
