Washington’s minimum wage will increase 15 cents to $9.47 an hour beginning Jan. 1, 2015, the Department of Labor &Industries announced today.
The state agency calculates the minimum wage each year at this time based on inflation and the federal Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers.
The change will affect more than 67,000 workers, based on full-time equivalent positions according to the Washington State Employment Security Department.
The per hour increase will total $312 per year.
The minimum wage applies to workers in all industries, including agriculture, although 14- and 15-year-olds can be paid 85 percent of the adult minimum wage, or $8.05 an hour.
Washington has the highest state minimum wage in the nation, followed by Oregon, where the minimum wage will increase to $9.25 — an increase of 15 cents — in 2015.
More information on Washington’s minimum wage is available at www.lni.wa.gov/WorkplaceRights/Wages/
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