A new minimum wage will take effect in Connecticut this January. It will be the state’s first economic indicator adjustment.
Part of a state law from 2019, Connecticut saw five incremental increases in the minimum wage between that year and 2023.
Beginning Jan. 1 2024, the state’s minimum wage will be adjusted every year based on the U.S. Department of Labor’s employment cost index. The amount of money will be announced every Oct. 15 and take effect the following Jan. 1.
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont and Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz announced the wage adjustment in Willimantic on Monday.
“This is a fair and gradual increase for workers that ensures that as the economy grows, the minimum wage grows with it," Bysiewicz said. "And that’s good for everyone.”
Lamont responded to criticism that the move could hurt small businesses.
“We’ve now surpassed peak employment in the state, more than we had pre-COVID. We have 90,000-plus jobs going unfilled right now," he said. "I tell a lot of folks out there, ‘you may want to pay people a little more.’ That’s how you get them to come back to work.”
Officials say about 10% of the state's workforce makes minimum wage. The majority of those workers are women and people of color.
