HARTFORD, Conn. — Connecticut's minimum wage will be increasing in the new year. The wage will increase from $15.69 per hour to $16.35 per hour, a 66-cent increase.
The minimum wage is increasing again to comply with Public Act 19-4, which Gov. Ned Lamont signed into law in 2019.
When the bill was signed in 2019, the minimum wage was $10.10 per hour, and for the following five years, the minimum wage went up from $11 per hour to $15 per hour. This past year, the minimum wage went up from $15 to $15.69, adjusted based on the calculation of the U.S. Department of Labor's (DoL) employment cost index (ECI). Minimum wages in years to come will change each year based on those calculations, and cannot decrease below what the data from the DoL indicates.
“This law that we enacted ensures that as the economy grows, the wages of low-income workers can grow with it,” Lamont said. “This is a fair, modest adjustment for workers who will invest their earnings right back into our economy and support local businesses in their communities.”
About 60% of Connecticut's minimum wage earners are women, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
"While the nation’s economy grew, the income of minimum wage workers stayed flat, making already existing pay disparities even worse, especially for the already economically disadvantaged," said Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz. "This is a policy that benefits everyone and provides more financial security to families, especially women and people of color.”
The 66-cent increase came from the ECI increasing by 4.2% over a 12-month period, which ended on June 30, 2024.
The new $16.35 per hour minimum wage will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2025.
---
Do you have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com
---
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
Apple App Store: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Stream Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.
