Connecticut’s minimum wage will increase by more than 50 cents per hour next January -- from $16.94 to $17.48, state officials announced on Wednesday.
The increase is mandated by a 2019 state law that ties the state’s minimum wage to the U.S. Department of Labor’s annual employment cost index.
This year, the index is up more than 3 percent -- which accounts for the 54-cent-per-hour raise, said Dante Bartolomeo, the state’s Labor commissioner.
“In 2027 Connecticut’s minimum wage will rise from $16.94 to $17.48 per hour. This is a $21.60 increase per week for workers who are working 40 hours," Bartolomeo said.
“That will help mitigate the cost of inflation, keep wage gaps from widening, and promote a steady, stable economy,” she said.
Between 160,000 and 200,000 Connecticut residents earn minimum wage, according to the commissioner
Nearly two-thirds of them are women and people of color, according to U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates.
