Most Active Stories Tue January 3, 2012 Raising The Minimum
Wage: Who Does It Help? For some of America's lowest-paid
workers, the new year means a pay raise. Some states set their
own minimum wages, above the federal rate of $7.25 an hour, and
that rekindles an old debate over whether minimum wages make
sense — especially at a time of high unemployment. Like several
other states, Washington state's minimum wage is indexed to the
cost of living. This year, the formula has raised the statewide
minimum from $8.67 to $9.04 an hour, making it the nation's
highest statewide rate. Zack Colon is just out of college, and
while he prepares for grad school, he works as a chef. He says
that extra 37 cents an hour will make an appreciable difference
to his weekly income. "Ten, fifteen dollars is like two meals.
Any raise is, like, big," Colon says. But for Colon's boss, the
raise is an unwelcome financial burden. Skyler Riley is a young
entrepreneur, and two years ago this 20-something opened his
restaurant — Rainin' Rib