New Year, more money: Florida halfway to $15 minimum wage goal

As minimum wage workers around the nation get a raise in the new year, Florida is halfway to its $15 goal.

State of play: Florida increased its minimum wage in the fall by $1, so 987,000 workers — 11% of the workforce — started making $11/hour.

• They'll get another bump to $12 in September.

Yes, but: Some Central Florida tourism workers say that's not enough to meet rising costs.

• Some members of Local 737, which represents thousands of workers at six tourism companies in Central Florida, asked for at least an $18/hour minimum wage in contract negotiations in November to account for increasing rent, food and gas prices.
• Walt Disney World workers, who currently get $15/hour, are in the midst of negotiations for $20.

The big picture: Minimum wage hikes in 23 states and Washington, D.C. went into effect this week, Axios' Emily Peck reports.

• The biggest factor driving national increases was inflation. Thirteen states tie their minimum wage rate to the Consumer Price Index, as Wolters Kluwer notes in a new analysis.
• Florida and a handful of other states had increases set by legislation or ballot initiatives.

Flashback: Florida voters approved a mandate in 2020 to make the minimum wage $15 by 2026 — so it will increase by a dollar on Sept. 30 every year until then.

• Starting in 2027, the minimum wage will be adjusted each year for inflation.

Zoom out: While the federal wage floor remains $7.25, a growing number of states already have minimum wages of at least $15 an hour, including Washington ($15.74), California ($15.50) and Massachusetts ($15).

• More states will reach $15 an hour before Florida, including Connecticut (June 2023), New Jersey (2024) and Illinois (2025).