Florida Minimum Wage Just Increased By 21 Cents And People Are Laughing
On January 1, Florida's minimum wage was officially increased from $8.25 to $8.46 in accordance with the law for the state to reevaluate the minimum wage every 12 months, and some Floridians are not happy. Currently, the minimum wage in Florida is right about average across the board, with some states being considerably higher and others not budging above the federal $7.25 minimum requirement.
While a 21 cent increase may not seem like much, for Florida it is the biggest minimum wage increase since 2012, according to officials, and considering that federal minimum wage has not seen an increase since 2009, this little step forward can be considered a proactive step towards a more-livable minimum wage.
Despite the increase, many social media users have taken to a variety of platforms to express their concern, several of which stating the minimum wage is laughable.
florida minimum wage is going from $8.25 to $8.46 thank GOD can’t wait to be RICH
Even ABC7 Sarasota's Facebook video recapping the new law has dozens of reacts, most of which are laughs.
One Facebook user commented on the video stating,"What a joke! That’s $1353 gross a month at full time. Anyone’s check rent prices in Sarasota lately?" While others have jumped to defend the change, "It’s not meant to be a living wage... it’s an entry level wage.... if you plan on staying at minimum wage you won’t be able to live off it," another user's comment reads.
Many US residents are struggling to find work, let alone good paying work. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2017 across the nation 542,000 workers earned exactly the prevailing federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. About 1.3 million had wages below the federal minimum.
From groceries to housing and utility costs, in 2017, the Missouri Economic Reseach and Information Center deemed the cost of living in Florida higher than most other states - and as a growingly popular state, that is not a trend we will expect to see a change in any time soon.
All hope is not lost, however. Many of US residents are petitioning for a federal minimum wage increase, this petition alone has nearly 30,000 signatures.