North Dakota Increased Its Minimum Wage to $6.55 Per Hour July 24, 2008

The state of North Dakota has increased its minimum wage, with reference to the federal minimum wage increase, to $6.55 per hour effective July 24, 2008; and will increase the minimum wage to $7.25 per hour on July 24, 2009.

Michael Ziesch, Job Service North Dakota research analyst, said the state has about 14,000 unfilled jobs and employers already are having to pay above minimum wage to find workers.

But North Dakota officials say the 70-cent increase will not significantly affect the job market or give much aid to families struggling to keep up with increasing costs of living.

Democratic-NPL gubernatorial candidate Sen. Tim Mathern said better-paying jobs would be created in North Dakota for facilitating a “family-friendly wage."“We’re not going to create a minimum wage that’s going to get to the $30,000 level, but we need to make sure the jobs we create pay at that level,” Mathern said.