The Impact of a $15/hr Minimum Wage

In states across the nation, minimum wage policies continue to dominate political and economic discussions. Recently, two of the nation’s largest states, New York and California, have both passed laws that will gradually raise the minimum wage in those states to $15 per hour. While these decisions have been met with support and criticism, the impacts in each state will be followed closely across the nation.

The idea of a $15 per hour minimum wage has also been discussed by state legislators in Florida. During the 2016 legislative session, Senate Bill 6 and House Bill 109 were introduced and proposed raising Florida’s minimum wage to $15 per hour starting in January of 2017. The bills would have replaced Florida’s existing floating minimum wage, which is currently $8.05 per hour. Florida’s minimum wage is reviewed each year, and either remains steady, or is increased to account for changes in the cost of living. While both bills died during the committee meeting process, the fight to raise Florida’s minimum wage to $15 per hour is likely to continue. With this in mind, it is important that taxpayers and policymakers understand how an increase in the minimum wage to $15 per hour would impact businesses, the job market, and the everyday lives of Florida residents.