Minimum wage workers in Rhode Island have been dreaming of a pay raise for years. Now, their dreams are a reality.
Governor Lincoln Chafee just signed a bill into law that will give the state’s minimum wage workers their first raise since 2007. Starting on January 1, 2013, Rhode Island’s minimum wage workers will earn $7.75 per hour. That’s up about 5% from the $7.40 they are making right now.
Out of all the New England states, Rhode Island minimum wage workers had to wait the longest for their raise. Adding insult to injury, they were some of the lowest paid in the region. Until now, Rhode Island’s minimum wage workers were only paid more than New Hampshire’s — who make $7.25 per hour. Neighboring states Massachusetts and Connecticut have hourly rates at $8.00 and $8.25, respectively. Vermont’s minimum wage workers make the most in the area — at $8.46 per hour.
Aside from having to wait for a pay increase, Rhode Island workers have faced other challenges. According to numbers released at the end of May, the state’s unemployment rate has risen to more than 11%.