2017 brings minimum wage increases in 21 states

WASHINGTON, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- When the clocks strike midnight across the country, workers in 21 states will be in line for a raise thanks to state-level increases in the minimum wage.

While the federal minimum wage remains unchanged, state legislatures in 21 states, several of them controlled by Republicans traditionally skeptical of mandated wage increases, have drafted laws to increase their state's hourly pay rate floor, though not all will take place on Jan. 1.

The Wall Street Journal reported the increases will affect 4.4 million low-wage workers across the country.

The single largest increase comes in Republican-controlled Arizona, where the wage is set to increase a whopping 25 percent, from $8.95 to $10 per hour. Voters there also overwhelmingly approved a ballot initiative in November to increase the minimum wage to $12 by 2020. The Arizona Chamber of Commerce is challenging the increases, which will affect 12 percent of the state's overall workforce, in court.

Other significant increases include Maine, where the wage will increase $1.50, to $9 per hour, in Washington state it will increase $1.47 to $10.50 per hour, Hawaii, where it will increase $1.25 to $9.25 and Massachusetts, where it will increase $1 to $11 per hour.

Several other states have laws tying the minimum wage to the rate of inflation, generally leading to increases of about 5 cents per hour.

Here is the full list of state-level minimum wage increases:

-- In Alaska, the minimum wage will increase from $9.75 to $9.80.

-- In Arizona, the minimum wage will increase from $8.05 to $10.

-- In Arkansas, the minimum wage will increase from $8 to $8.50.

-- In California, the minimum wage will increase from $10 to $10.50

-- In Colorado, the minimum wage will increase from $8.31 to $9.30.

-- In Connecticut, the minimum wage will increase from $9.60 to $10.10.

-- In Florida, the minimum wage will increase from $8.05 to $8.10.

-- In Hawaii, the minimum wage will increase from $8.50 to $9.25.

-- In Maine, the minimum wage will increase from $7.50 to $9.

-- In Maryland, the minimum wage will increase from $8.75 to $9.25.