Minimum wage vs. a living wage

By Sophie Camizzi,

Published February 23, 2024 at 7:00 AM EST

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FILE - A hiring sign is in front of a Target store in Manchester, Conn., Nov. 39, 2021. Workers at Target stores and distribution centers in places like New York, where competition for finding and hiring staff is the fiercest, could see starting wages as high as $24 an hour this year. The Minneapolis-based discount retailer said Monday, Feb. 28, 2022 that it will adopt minimum wages that range from $15 to $24 an hour, with the highest pay going to hires in the most competitive markets. It currently pays a universal starting wage of $15 an hour. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey) — A hiring sign is in front of a Target store in Manchester, Conn.

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont signed a new minimum wage bill In 2019 that increased the hourly wage by a dollar each year until it reached $15 an hour in 2023.

But it doesn’t end there. The law allows for more increases. Those are tied to the percentage change in the federal employment cost index. Basically, it adjusts the wage to the rate of inflation.

And the very first adjustment was applied on January 1st raising the minimum wage to $15.69.

So what does this mean for workers and businesses in Connecticut? Our guests will help us take a deep dive into this issue.

GUESTS:

Chris DiPentima - President and CEO of CBIA

CBIA INTERVIEW.mp3

Ed Hawthorne to join us. He’s the President of the CT ALF-CIO

AFL-CIO INTERVIEW.mp3

Lisa Tepper Bates, President of the United Way in Connecticut

The A.L.I.C.E. Report

UNITED WAY INTERVIEW.mp3