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California Governor Gavin Newsom Announces Minimum Wage Increase to $17.40
Just the facts
California Governor Gavin Newsom formally announced that the state's minimum wage will increase from $16.90 to $17.40 per hour beginning January 1. The increase sets California's minimum wage as the highest among all U.S. states, ahead of Washington state's scheduled $17.13 rate. State officials noted that the pay adjustment is designed to assist working families facing elevated living costs. The federal minimum wage in the United States has remained at $7.25 per hour since 2009. Research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology indicates that living wage requirements for a family of four in California substantially exceed state minimum baselines.
Why this is news
California Governor Gavin Newsom announced an increase in the state's minimum wage to $17.40 per hour, scheduled to take effect on January 1. The adjustment raises the baseline pay rate from the current $16.90 per hour across the state.
Sources
This summary is compiled strictly from the original reporting below.