TOPEKA ( KSNT ) – Kansas is now surrounded on three sides by states with higher minimum wages. We spoke to Professor of Economics at K-State Valerie Bostwick about the impact it has on the Sunflower State.
On Nov. 5, Missourians voted to pass Proposition A, an initiative that will increase the minimum wage to $15/hr. The vote passed with a 57.6% majority vote, adding another state to those surrounding Kansas with higher minimum wages.
According to Bostwick, being bordered by states that have higher minimum wages creates a strong incentive for people looking at minimum-wage jobs to drive a little further to a neighboring state to get paid much more.
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In Kansas, workers earn $7.25/hr or $15,080 per year. At $15,000/yr, Kansans earn 3.5x less than the annual living wage in Kansas of $54,601; falling into 2022 poverty thresholds set by the U.S. Census Bureau. On the national level in 2022, the poverty threshold for a single person under 65 years old was $15,230. Kansas is one of 20 states that matches the federally mandated minimum wage rate of $7.25/hr.