California To Raise Hourly Minimum Wage

On Monday April 4, California Governor Jerry Brown signed a new law to increase the state hourly minimum wage. The state minimum wage will rise by 50 cents to $10.50 in 2017, $11 in 2018, and then by $1 per year until it reaches $15 per hour in 2022. Businesses with 25 or fewer employees will have a year more to make the change. After that, starting in 2023, the hourly state minimum wage will be connected to the Consumer Price Index (which measures changes in the costs of goods and services commonly used in households). The new law leaves open the right for the governor to make adjustments if the Department of Finance forecasts job losses or other financial issues.