Washington state minimum wage to increase 80 cents Saturday
The Washington State minimum wage increases Saturday, reflecting inflation over the past year.
The new hourly minimum, which applies to employees 16 years and older, will increase 80 cents per hour to $14.49 from the current $13,69, according to the state Department of Labor & Industries. Employees aged 14-15 will earn $12.32 per hour.
L&I is required to make adjustments to the minimum wage every year based on cost-of-living expenses. Expensive gas prices, high housing costs and rising food costs were all factored into the new increase by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
L&I’s statement on the minimum wage noted that Seattle and SeaTac already have higher minimum wages, as cities have the option to set their own minimum wage. Hourly minimum wage in Seattle will increase to $17.27 in January.
Other changes are coming for different types of employees as well.
For overtime-exempt employees, the minimum salary they must earn to be considered exempt will increase to $52,743.60 on Jan. 1. This applies to “white collar” jobs, such as “executive, administrative and professional workers,” L&I said in the statement.
For the first time ever, agricultural farmworkers in Washington will be eligible to earn overtime.
An incremental phase-in schedule will reduce the amount of hours needed to work before farmworkers are considered eligible for overtime. In January, 55 hours in a workweek will allow farmworkers to earn overtime. In 2023, those hours will be reduced to 48 in a workweek. By 2024, the hours will be reduced to 40 per week.
L&I’s also reports that workers compensation premiums will increase 3.1 percent in January. Similar to 2021, workers will pay on average a quarter of the premium. Rates may go up or down for individual employers depending on various factors.
This story was originally published December 31, 2021 at 12:14 PM with the headline "Washington state minimum wage to increase 80 cents Saturday."
