State Announces Slight Minimum Wage Increase for 2020

ST. PAUL -- Workers making minimum wage will be getting a slight pay increase in the new year. The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry says the state's minimum wage rates will be adjusted for inflation on January 1st.

Large employers must pay at least $10 an hour, which is up .14 cents from the current $9.86.

Small employers must pay at last $8.15 an hour, which is up .11 cents from the current $8.04. The training wage and youth wage are also $8.15 an hour.

The state says in 2020 an estimated 206,000 jobs will pay the minimum wage rates.

The rates do not apply to the cities of Minneapolis or St. Paul which have higher rates.

Minnesota has the highest minimum wage in the upper Midwest.  South Dakota's is currently at $9.30 an hour, while Wisconsin, North Dakota and Iowa are all at the federal minimum wage level of $7.25 an hour.  (Wisonson's Governor Tony Evers is trying to raise his state's minimum wage to $15 an hour).

The two states with the highest minimum wage are Washington at $13.50 and California at $13.