HR Management & Compliance

Highest minimum wage in nation likely for Washington, D.C.

The final vote hasn’t come yet, but on December 3, the D.C. Council unanimously voted to raise the minimum wage in Washington, D.C., to $11.50 per hour by 2016, well above the $7.25 federal minimum wage.

Before the measure is finalized, the council must hold a final vote and send it to Mayor Vincent C. Gray, who has said he prefers a $10-an-hour minimum wage. Even if Gray vetoes the measure, the support it has in the council is likely to ensure an override. The final council vote is expected later this month.

Currently, the minimum wage for hourly workers in Washington, D.C., is $8.25 an hour. If the new minimum wage goes into effect, it will be phased in over three years, beginning with $9.50 in July 2014, according to news reports. The rate would then go to $10.15 on July 1, 2015, and to $11.50 on July 1, 2016. The measure also would tie further increases to inflation.

Nearby Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties in Maryland recently passed legislation that will raise the minimum wage to $11.50 by 2017.

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