Mapped: How Texas' minimum wage compares
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The minimum wage went up in 22 states last week — but not in Texas.
- Texas is among 20 states that still have the federal minimum wage of $7.25, Axios' Emily Peck reports.
The big picture: More states — including New York, Maryland and New Mexico — have a $15-an-hour minimum wage a dozen years after Fight for $15 kicked off its campaign.
Why it matters: Increasing the wage floor for the lowest earners typically pushes up pay for those who make a bit more than the minimum, as employers have to adjust pay scales upward.
- And thanks to inflation, the dollar amount doesn't quite mean what it used to.
What they're saying: Gov. Greg Abbott's spokesperson said in 2021 that a $15 government-imposed minimum wage "would put a boot on the neck of small businesses struggling under the weight of the pandemic."
What happened: Bills filed by Democrats to increase the state minimum wage to at least $15 did not get a hearing last year.
- Proposals to allow cities or counties to set their own minimum wage also failed to gain traction.
Flashback: The federal minimum wage was last increased in 2009, from $6.55 to $7.25, per the U.S. Department of Labor.