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Happy new year, dearest Careers readers.

While January has already seen a tumultuous and headline-filled six days, 2026 is off to a great start for the more than 8 million Americans who received a pay bump to kick off the year. Nineteen states raised their minimum wage on January 1, marking the first time that a majority of U.S. workers live in states with $15-an-hour minimums instead of the federal minimum wage of $7.25.

That federal wage now applies in only eight states, where there is either no state floor set or the state mandates $7.25-an-hour, a rate that hasn’t been raised since 2009. The biggest hourly increase came in Hawaii, where the state minimum went from $14 to $16 an hour. And Washington became the first to set a statewide minimum of more than $17 an hour.

Proponents argue that the increases are necessary to keep up with the rising cost of living (inflation in 2025 hit 2.7% as of November), while others argue such increases place a burden on employers. Though many employers have also taken charge and raised their own minimums. Major corporations like McDonald’s, Home Depot and Costco are just a few of the big names who have raised hourly wages to a minimum of $15 across the country. Others, like Bank of America, have pushed it to $25.

Happy reading, and hope you have a lovely week back at work.

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