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Quick summary: The clocks striking 2025 didn’t only mark the new year — many states also increased their minimum wages on 1/1. Today, we’re exploring the impact of these statewide adjustments, the federal level being unchanged since 2009, and the rising cost of living, featuring reporting from AsAmNews, Sahan Journal, India Currents, Documented, and Black Voice News.
Credit: Jennifer Miranda / iStock
Will you make more money in 2025?
Hey, y’all,Things have gotten a lot more expensive since 2009, right? That might even be an understatement, with certain cups of coffee running upwards of $7 nowadays.What’s even crazier is that minimum wages have not budged since 2009 — at least at the federal level. Since then, a federal minimum wage worker has made just $7.25 per hour. That means they would just barely be able to afford that cup of coffee after an hour of work, let alone keep up with the larger costs of living that are also on the rise. Advocates have long campaigned for federal wage increases to at least keep pace with inflation, and Congress has made some efforts. For example, the Raise the Wage Act would steadily increase the level to $17 by 2028, as well as get rid of the “subminimum wage” system that forces workers to rely heavily on tips. The bill was first introduced by the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, and received strong support from Asian American and Pacific Islander restaurant workers and owners. It passed the House of Representatives, yet has since stalled in the Senate, according to AsAmNews.On the other hand, statewide increases to the minimum wage have had more success. While five do not have a state wage and default to the federal level, the majority of states have set a higher minimum wage than $7.25. Plus, on January 1, workers in 21 states got a bump up in pay, according to Business for a Fair Minimum Wage, a national network of business owners who believe in fair pay.
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