Seattle minimum wage increases to $18.69 an hour

Seattle announced its new minimum wage will be $18.69 an hour for most workers, a $1.42 increase over the current wage. It will take effect Jan 1, 2023.

An annual increase to the minimum wage is required by the Minimum Wage Ordinance, which was set by Initiative 1433 and requires the wage to be adjusted for inflation.

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The $18.69 an hour wage applies to large employers with more than 500 employees. For smaller employers, who do not pay for medical benefits and who earn at least $2.19 an hour in tips, the new minimum wage will be $16.50 an hour.

The current minimum wage for 2022 is $17.27 an hour, an 8% increase which aligns with the 8.3% inflation rate reported by U.S. Labor Department Sept. 13.

The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries said the 8.66% rise is directly linked to the historic surge in costs of common goods such as housing, food, and medical care, with the highest inflation seen in the past four decades.

The state’s minimum wage will also be increasing. The new rate will be $15.74 per hour. It is currently $14.49.

All pay hikes will apply to workers who are 16 and older. Workers who are 14 and 15 will get 85% of the wage, which comes out to be $13.38 per hour.

Seattle’s labor office plans to mail out new workplace wage posters to every licensed business in the coming weeks.