Florida Minimum Wage Increases Sunday
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
By: Tom Parkinson

Dec 27, 2011 | WMFE - Life may get a little easier next week for about a quarter of a million low wage workers in Florida. The state's minimum wage will increase by 36 cents on Jan. 1st.

Minimum-wage earners in Florida will get a raise at the start of the new year from $7.31 an hour to $7.67.
Voters passed a constitutional amendment in 2004 mandating the minimum wage be adjusted annually to keep pace with inflation.
For low wage workers, the pay hike is welcome news but some employers say they may have to cut workers' hours to meet the higher payroll costs.
About 250 thousand Floridians earn minimum wage, mostly in the hospitality and retail industries. Economic researchers say at least 150 thousand other Floridians earning slightly above the minimum will also see a pay hike as employers adjust to the new rate.  
At the new minimum, an employee with a 40-hour work week will earn about $16 thousand dollars a year.