Next year, higher minimum wage regulations will take effect. This will cause workers in at least 22 states and 66 cities and counties across the country to receive adjustments to their wages, which could improve the income of many American households that continue to struggle with the high costs of food, goods, services, childcare, among others. Others.

A report developed by the National Employment Law Project (NELP), a workers' advocacy organization, highlights that "policies that raise the minimum wage have been a lifeline for low-wage workers who have been hardest hit by a growing affordability crisis."

It is expected that starting January 1, 2026, these states will gradually receive their wage adjustments, which will reach between $15 and $17 per hour, while the federal minimum wage will remain at $7.25 per hour since 2009.

For example, in cities like New York, Long Island, and Westchester, the minimum wage is expected to reach $17 per hour. In some California cities, such as Hayward and Novato, employers will base minimum wages on the size of their company. NELP researcher Tsedeye Gebreselassie commented that “in the absence of federal action, these increases are indexed to inflation, so they keep pace with the cost of living. The contrast between states and cities that raise wages every year and those that are stuck at $7.25 is truly alarming,” he said. Gebreselassie also noted that “on one hand, the lack of affordability is due to things costing too much, but on the other hand, it means people aren’t earning enough to buy things. There’s a lot of talk about the former, but we need to make sure we don’t lose sight of the fact that workers’ wages need to increase,” he emphasized.

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