The New Year brought an increase in Ohio’s minimum wage, rising 30 cents an hour to $7.70 an hour.
In 2006, Ohioans voted for a constitutional amendment that says minimum wage will increase each year at the rate of inflation.
A news story by Toledo’s WTOL says some say the increase is not enough. According to one Toledo resident, “the 30-cent increase is a joke for those dealing with rising rent payments, mortgages, higher utility bills, and rising gas prices just to be able to get to work.”
According to figures from Penn State University, the new minimum wage still falls below the living wage average for a single adult living in Ohio. Figures show a single adult who works full-time would need to earn at least $7.95 an hour to receive a living wage.
The minimum wage increase applies to workers ages 16 and older who don’t receive tips. Employers who gross less than $283,000 annually will not be affected by the increase.
