The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries announced recently that pursuant to Initiative 688, the minimum wage for the state of Washington would increase from $8.55 to $8.67 per hour effective January 1, 2011. The law requires an adjustment to the minimum wage be calculated each year.

Adjustment Is Tied to Changes in CPI-W

The adjustment is tied to the change in the federal Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) for the 12 months ending in August. The 1.4% increase in the CPI-W will result in an increase of $0.12 for 2011.

Attorney General Rob McKenna Concluded Minimum Wage Should Not Increase

In legal opinion AGO 2010 No. 7, the Washington State Office of the Attorney General concluded that since there was a net decrease in CPI-W since August 2008, the minimum wage should remain unchanged for 2011. Since several groups have filed suit challenging the increase in the minimum wage, it is likely that courts will be required to provide the final answer as to how the minimum wage should change, if at all, for 2011.

Find Out the Minimum Wage for All States by Visiting the Vision Payroll Minimum Wage Chart Page

Contact Vision Payroll if you have any questions on the Washington minimum wage increase or visit our Minimum Wage Chart.