Rich states, poor states: How a federal minimum wage hike would widen the gap

With growing enthusiasm for lifting the federal minimum wage in Congress, it’s time to consider some data on wages and differences in the cost of living across the 50 states. The Raise the Wage Act, introduced by Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., in January with broad support from his party, would raise the federal minimum wage from the current $7.25 per hour (where it has been since 2009) to $15.00 in 2024. READ MORE