With the dawn of 2016, the minimum wage in California increased by $1, jumping up to $10 per hour as of Jan. 1.1
While various parts of the state are set to see additional increases to the minimum wage this year and/or over the next few years, California voters will have the chance to decide on further statewide increases to the minimum wage this coming November.
The California minimum wage trumps the lower federal minimum wage – This is because, when the state and the federal minimum wage differ, workers will be entitled to the higher of the two wages. Given that the federal minimum wage has been fixed at $7.25 since 2009, California workers are entitled to the higher state minimum wage, which is now $10/hour.
Proposals for Additional Min. Wage Hikes in California
While California employers and workers adjust to the new minimum wage in the state, within about 10 months, they will have the opportunity to decide on whether additional hikes to the minimum wage should be instituted.
That is because, this November, there will be at least two measures on the ballot, calling for incremental increases to the state minimum wage. While one of these measures proposes raising the California minimum wage to $15/hour by 2020, the other proposes the same hike by 2021.
Whether additional proposals make it onto the ballot – and whether California voters approve any additional hikes to the minimum wage – remains to be seen. As more news about these issues becomes available, we will provide the latest updates here, in a future news article. In the meantime, we encourage you to share your thoughts about the California minimum wage increases on Facebook.
If your employer has failed to properly compensate you for your labor, contact a Los Angeles employment law attorney at the Azadian Law Group, PC, for a free case to review to find out more about your options for recovery and justice.
Call us at 626-449-4944 or send us an email via this contact form to find out more about how we can help you. If you choose to move forward with us, you will not have to pay us any legal fees until or unless compensation is secured for your case.
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1: According to the California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR)
2: According to BallotPedia