On December 31st and January 1st, the minimum wage will go up in 18 states and about 20 cities and counties, per the National Employment Law Project, with some increases at or near $15 an hour.
In other areas, wages are going up, but are still closer to the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. Congress hasn't voted to raise the minimum wage in more than a decade. Missouri had the lowest minimum wage on CNN's list, rising from $7.70 an hour to $7.85 an hour in 2018. SeaTac, Washington had the highest -- $15.64 an hour for hospitality and transportation employees.
Nyiasha Colon, a 20-year-old who works at a Dunkin' Donuts in Rochester, New York and currently makes $11.50 an hour, said she's looking forward to the increase, even if it's small. "There's things out here that are expensive, and you can't afford [them]," said Colon, who recently joined the Fight for $15 movement to lobby for higher wages. "I don't have a coat for the winter or boots for the winter, and I take the bus."
