Minimum wage increases went into effect in several states on July 1 as states take it upon themselves to increase pay for low-wage workers to keep up with the growing cost of living.
The federal minimum wage sits at $7.25 an hour, a number that has been in place since 2009. (Democrats tried and failed to raise the federal minimum wage as part of stimulus negotiations earlier this year.) In a majority of states, the state minimum wage is now higher than the federal minimum. READ MORE