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 $8.67 to $9.04 per hour effective January 1, 2012. 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 4.258% increase in the CPI-W will result in an increase of $0.37 for 2011.

Washington Maintains Highest Minimum Wage in the Country

Washington has the highest minimum wage in the country, followed by Oregon. Oregon recently announced that its minimum wage would rise $0.30 to $8.80 an hour in 2012.

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.