The beginning of 2024 brought minimum wage increases in 22 states, the latest instances of a decade-long trend, according to the National Employment Law Project, a nonprofit group which advocates for workers rights.

Meanwhile, the number of states with minimum wages set at $15 or more expanded this year, going from four including the state of Washington, California, Connecticut and Massachusetts as well as the District of Columbia to seven states as of Jan. 1, with Maryland, New Jersey, and New York State piling in. Joining these states by 2025 will be Delaware, Illinois and Rhode Island, with more anticipated by 2026, according to NELP. READ MORE