Maryland minimum wage to rise on July 1.

[elleng]

On July 1, Maryland lowest paid workers will get a 25 cent raise as the state’s minimum wage rises to $8.25, a full dollar higher than the federal rate of $7.25 per hour. This increase is part of the Maryland Minimum Wage Act of 2014 passed by the Maryland General Assembly that will gradually increase the state’s basement wage to $10.10 per hour by 2018.

In January of this year, 77,000 Maryland workers got a raise as the minimum wage in the state rose to eight dollars per hour. An additional 94,000 workers were indirectly affected as higher wages at the bottom of pay scale will push up salaries for those who earn slightly more than the minimum.January’s raise affected 6.5 percent of Maryland’s workforce, creating $84 million in increased wages for the state’s lowest paid workers and is expected to boost consumer spending by $55 million according to research from the Economic Policy Institute.

“This increase is another positive step for Maryland’s working families,” said Charly Carter, executive director of Maryland Working Families. “At the same time, we recognize that the state’s lowest wage workers will not earn the full $10.10 until more than three years from now and that tipped workers will not benefit from this increase because legislators permanently froze their wages at $3.63 per hour.”

http://www.thebaynet.com/articles/0615/marylandminimumwagetoriseonjuly1.html

[kelly1mm]

1. While I know this is a cut and paste and not the OP's thoughts, the part about

tipped workers not benefiting by the July 1 raise in the minimum raise is false. Tipped workers are entitled to the tipped worker minimum + tips so long as the total is equal to or more than the minimum wage. Thus, if minimum wage goes up then the tipped worker wage + tips 'floor' is raised thus benefiting tipped workers. See FLSA.

[elleng]

2. Thanks for the facts, kelly1mm!