In July of 2023, Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Vice Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, co-led the Raise the Wage Act of 2023.
Under the Raise the Wage Act, the federal minimum wage would increase to $17 by 2028, providing roughly 28 million workers with a long overdue raise. When we put money in the pockets of workers, they will spend that money on local businesses. With the help of the Raise the Wage Act, everyone will benefit from a quicker and more robust economy.
In June of 2023, the minimum wage in Connecticut increased from $14.00 to $15.00 per hour, giving thousands of Connecticut residents access to a livable wage. The Raise the Wage Act builds upon those increases while also installing measures to ensure the effectiveness of the federal minimum wage and removing wage barriers for teen and disabled workers.
In the Fifth District, the Raise the Wage Act would:
- Increase the wages of 9,000 members of the workforce or 2.7%
Across Connecticut, the Raise the Wage Act would:
- Increase the wages of 50,000 members of the workforce or 2.9%
Nationally, the Raise the Wage Act would:
- Gradually raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $17 by 2028;
- Index future increases in the federal minimum wage to median wage growth to ensure the value of minimum wage does not once again erode over time;
- Guarantee tipped workers are paid at least the full federal minimum wage by phasing out the subminimum wage for tipped workers, which will ensure decent, consistent pay without eliminating tips;
- Guarantee teen workers are paid at least the full federal minimum wage by phasing out the rarely used subminimum wage for youth workers; and
- End subminimum wage certificates for workers with disabilities to provide opportunities for workers with disabilities to be competitively employed and participate more fully in their communities.