The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) announced on Wednesday that the state’s minimum wage will increase six cents in 2017. The wage will rise to $9.53 an hour on Jan. 1.
L&I is responsible for calculating the state’s minimum wage each year in September as required under Initiative 688, which voters approved in 1998. Some jurisdictions have approved local minimum wages that are higher than the state’s, including Seattle and Tacoma.
The change reflects a 0.7 percent increase in the federal Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) over the last 12 months ending Aug. 31. The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) announced the change this month. The index represents a “shopping basket” of goods needed for everyday living, including groceries, gas and clothing.
The increase in the minimum wage is expected to affect nearly 51,000 workers, based on full-time equivalent jobs, according to the Washington State Employment Security Department.
The change does not take into account Initiative 1433, a measure on November’s election ballot that would bring next year’s minimum wage to $11 and, by 2020, to $13.50. The measure, supported by Governor Jay Inslee, also requires employers to provide sick leave to their employees.
Read a summary of I-1433 here.
