Florida Minimum Wage Increase

Florida Pensacola Minimum wage workers in the Sunshine State celebrate 2009 by making an extra 42-cents an hour.

by Pat Peterson

Published: Thu, January 01, 2009 - 5:45 pm CST Last Updated: Thu, January 01, 2009 - 5:47 pm CST

The New Year is off to a great start for nearly a million minimum wage workers in the Sunshine State. On Thursday, the minimum wage increased to $7.21 an hour...that's up 42 cents from last year. The Florida Labor Department says the wage hike was needed because the state has the highest rate of job losses in the nation.

"It's a good way to start off the new year," says Richie Gibbs, a high school student who works at Wings on the Go on Highway 98 in West Pensacola. Gibbs makes minimum wage at the wing restaurant he's worked at for nearly four months. "It'll definitely put a little extra money in my savings account."

Victoria Miller owns the restaurant. Miller says she's glad to see Gibbs compensated for his hard work.

"It won't affect our prices," says Miller. "Prices won't go back up, it'll probably increase our salaries 20 or 30 dollars a week so it won't mean that much of an increase, but I think it'll help stimulate the economy."

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claycitymadness Says:

Fri, Jan 02, 2009 at 8:44 am

naw, alabama is a ‘right to be poor’ state. only goes up with the federal increases. cant have the alabama folks getting a head up now can we. most of us are facd with paying more than minimum wage to attract employees though.

josh Says:

Fri, Jan 02, 2009 at 7:23 am

minimum wage should be goin up in alabama pretty soon, so i hear.

DEW26M Says:

Thu, Jan 01, 2009 at 8:21 pm

On a 40 hour work week .42¢ an hour is only $16.80. I can not really see that stimulating the economy very much. I mean I realize something is better than nothing, and I’m glad for them. Too bad Alabama does not have a Minimum Wage law in effect.