The minimum wage will increase in 15 states and cities in July, though lawmakers in other states have worked to slow down wage hikes.

Wage floor increases beginning July 1 in Alaska, Oregon and Washington, D.C., will benefit more than 880,000 workers by collectively raising their earnings by more than $397 million, according to an analysis by the Economic Policy Institute, a left-leaning think tank.

In Alaska, the $11.91 minimum wage will increase to $13 per hour. Oregon’s $14.70 standard figure will rise to $15.05 (the state has separate rates for urban and nonurban counties). And the $17.50 minimum in the District of Columbia will move to $17.95.

Another dozen cities will see minimum wage increases this summer, including Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Currently, 30 states and D.C. have a higher minimum wage than the federal minimum of $7.25, according to the Economic Policy Institute.

In many states, the minimum wage is automatically adjusted upward as inflation rises. But voters in several states last year elected to significantly increase their minimum wages.

The institute noted that lawmakers have pushed to “water down” some of those voter initiatives.

In Missouri, for example, voters approved a November measure to mandate paid sick time for many workers and boost the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2026, with future hikes tied to inflation. But lawmakers in May eliminated the sick leave requirement and nixed the inflation adjustment, meaning the minimum wage will not automatically increase as voters approved.

“Our side of the aisle has great concern for the burden that this would place on businesses,” Missouri Senate Pro Tem Cindy O’Laughlin, a Republican, said in May about the ballot measure, “and if we’re going to promote economic growth and jobs, we need to really be cognizant of that.”

Similarly, Nebraska lawmakers this year aimed to cap future wage increases approved by voters in a 2022 ballot measure. That legislation failed to advance.

Business for a Fair Minimum Wage, a national network of business owners and executives, said in a Thursday news release that increased minimum wages are good for employees and businesses alike.

Steven Dyme, CEO of Flowers for Dreams, said higher base wages encourage low-wage workers to spend more locally. The flower store has locations in Chicago, Detroit and Milwaukee.

“Building our business with living wages has ensured the best floral talent, a product quality that’s truly cared for, and a trusting customer base,” he said in the news release.

Stateline reporter Kevin Hardy can be reached at khardy@stateline.org. This story was published by Nebraska Examiner. Read the original article: https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/06/26/minimum-wage-set-to-increase-in-.../ Stateline and Nebraska Examiner are part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: info@stateline.org.