DOTHAN, Ala. (WDNews) — The minimum wage will increase in 19 states on Jan. 1, 2026, as state governments move to address rising living costs and stagnant federal pay standards. Alabama is not among them.
States raising their minimum wage include Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.
Many of the increases will bring wages to $15 an hour or higher, according to the National Employment Law Project, which tracks labor policy nationwide. Several cities and counties are also adopting wage formulas tied to inflation, housing costs or consumer prices…