Local businesses are making some adjustments as Washington prepares to increase the minimum wage in the new year.
Washington’s new minimum wage will be $16.66 an hour, almost a $0.40 an hour increase.
Dave Jones, owner of Spokane’s Ferguson’s Cafe, said he adjusts his prices every year to make sure they are just right.
“I raise my prices, but just a little bit, and hopefully not too much, and not too little. So, it’s one of those fine lines,” said Jones.
Jones said he has to balance being able to pay his eight employee without making his food overpriced.
“I just kind of look at it and go, ‘I think if I raise it up this much, I’ll be okay,'” said Jones.
This is the 8th year in a row that Washington has raised the minimum wage. It is now the state with the highest minimum wage.
The Washington State Department of Labor credits the increase to the rising cost of housing and food.
“The cost of living has gone up a lot since I first moved to Spokane ten years ago. It’s crazy. What I get for my rent now, versus what I got for the same amount back then, is really, really interesting,” said Erin Lang, who earns a minimum wage at Boots Bakery and Lounge in Spokane.