Blue states set to trigger fresh minimum wage hikes with pay floors more than double federal rate

Minimum wages are climbing again in five Democratic-led states at the start of 2027, stretching the distance between their pay floors and the federal minimum of $7. 25 an hour. Washington will set the highest statewide rate at $17. 73, a 60-cent rise from $17. 13. Connecticut moves from $16. 94 to $17. 48, and California from $16. 90 to $17. 40. New Jersey adds 56 cents, reaching $16. 48 for most workers, while Michigan jumps from $13. 73 to $15, among the biggest increases, according to Fox News.

Several Republican-led states have also set minimums far above the federal level, though none match the top blue-state figures. Florida hit $15 on Sept. 30 and will stay there through the end of 2027. Missouri is likewise at $15, and Nebraska will go from $15 to $15. 26 on Jan. 1.

Seattle will go further than the state, with a city minimum of $22. 14 in 2027, nearly $4. 50 over the new Washington rate. Since 2025, every employer in the city, small businesses included, has faced the same inflation-adjusted wage. Some restaurant owners who later shut down pointed to labor costs among their financial burdens.

Summarized by PolitiKool from Fox News’s reporting. Read the full story at Fox News →