In 2019, we saw significant activity in state legislatures passing employment-related laws in areas where federal government efforts had stalled, like paid sick leave, non-compete agreements and workplace discrimination. Another important area where states took action concerns the raising of minimum hourly wages. In fact, workers in half the states (25 including D.C.) will see an increase in hourly minimum wage rates at some point in 2020.

The chart below details which states are affected by minimum wage increases in 2020 and what those increases will be. States in which a Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr office is located are highlighted in yellow.

Consulting your specific local laws is important, as some states have different wages based on the size of an employer, and some cities/counties have minimum wage rates higher than the state minimum. Moving forward, some states index their wage increases to the cost of living or inflation, while others have legislated gradual increases over the coming years with a target of achieving $15.00/hour within a few years. Please also note that some states have multiple increases within the same year.

For more in-depth analysis of particular states, please see our prior blogs this year about minimum wage increases in Maryland, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.