Minimum Wage Raised in Missouri

Nov 08, 2014

JEFFERSON CITY – Minimum wage workers in Missouri will earn $7.65 per hour beginning Jan. 1.

The announcement from the state’s Department of Labor came Friday. The law regulates employee wage minimums for all companies whose gross annual sales exceed $500,000.

The wage represents an increase of 15 cents per hour from 2014’s minimum, according to reports.

Missouri minimum wage workers now earn $7.50 per hour which is 25 cents higher than the federally mandated $7.25 per hour, reports indicate.

All minimum wage employees in neighboring states save Illinois, where the minimum is $8.25, are paid the prevailing federal minimum.

Of America’s 144 million workers, approximately one percent, – 1.6 million people – earned that prevailing federal minimum in 2012, documents released by the Department of Labor indicate.

The federal minimum for non-exempt employees has been $7.25 per hour since 2009, while nationwide polls show 70 percent of the American public support a minimum wage increase to $10.10 per hour.

Four states voted to increase their minimums Tuesday. Arkansas, South Dakota, Nebraska and Alaska minimum wage personnel will see more earnings on their paychecks.

And while about one percent of workers earn the federal minimum, nearly 110 million people collect government subsidies.

Indeed, nearly 3.3 million workers receive minimum wage compensation – or less – while statistics state welfare recipients receive more money than do those who earn minimum wages.

Some disabled workers; many full-time students; and workers who receive tips all fall into the below-minimum-wage-earning category, reports state.

And according to studies conducted by the Pew Research Center, people at or below the minimum wage level are nearly 77 percent white; 64 percent are part-tie employees; 50 percent are in the 16 to 24 year-old demographic; and 24 percent are teenagers between the ages of 16 and 19.

More than half the workers are employed by the hospitality and leisure industry; eight percent in the educational occupation group; and 14 percent are working in retail establishments, research indicates.

  1. Tammy Hilderbrand

    Well….we have differing ideas about how to stimulate an economy. But that’s alright…..no one has to think like me for me to like them. But then I don’t find too many people around here who think like me, in pretty much any way, shape or form. I’m used to it. We can’t all be geniuses.

  2. Brian Becker

    I think this is going in the wrong direction… the perception that minimum wage should be anything other than the wage paid to people who want part time or spare change is not good. McD’s front line and fry cooks do not need a protection of wages. Forcing small business to pay entry level employees kills the ability for that employer to pay more to those who are trained and more valuable.

    I’d prefer a company pay a couple of high school students working 20 hours a week only $6/hr so that they could pay a trained and valuable employee an extra $3000 per year.

    If the gov. really wants to do some good, then they should eliminate all taxes on wages below $15.01/hr. And allow anyone on welfare or disability to make up to $30k per year for three years with no fear of loss of benefits.

    That would stimulate the economy with billions.

  3. Tammy Hilderbrand

    Local economies are fed by local salaries. When there are no salaries, there is no economy. This is part of what it will take to dig us out.

  4. Jennifer Nowak

    Hmmm, not sure that will really boost the economy considering it’s only $300 a year more for a full time employee at minimum wage.