Florida Minimum Wage Increase in 2009

The state of Florida will increase its minimum wage by 3 cents, which means, from the current $7.21 per hour to $7.24 per hour on July 24, 2009. At the same time, the federal minimum wage will increase to $7.25 per hour.

Of course, the change has a number of ramifications for Florida employers. They must update their state and federal minimum wage posters in the workplace.

This is the second time for Florida to change the minimum wage this month. On July 24, 2009, the federal minimum wage will increase to $7.25, so the minimum in these thirteen states will increase $7.25 per hour, too.

The change in the federal minimum wage will affect most of the employers in the United States. The companies earning $500, 000 or more annually will conform to the federal law.

When an employee qualifies for his or her state’s minimum wage and for the federal minimum wage, the worker is entitled to whichever wage provides the greater benefit to the employee

Florida Minimum Wage to Increase to $7.21 in 2009

The state of Florida will increase its minimum wage from $6.79 per hour to $7.21 per hour effective January 1, 2009, according to a recent announcement from Florida's Agency for Workforce Innovation ("AWI").

On November 2, 2004, Florida voters approved a constitutional amendment which created the state’s minimum wage; it applies to all employees in the state who are covered by the federal minimum wage. Florida law requires the Agency for Workforce Innovation to calculate a new minimum wage each year based on the Consumer Price Index, and publish the new minimum wage on January 1.

Florida employers should note that federal law requires businesses to pay the higher of either the federal minimum wage or the Florida minimum wage. The Florida minimum wage will be higher than the federal minimum wage until July 24, 2009, when the federal standard will increase to $7.25.

Florida’s Minimum Wage Increased to $6.79 Per Hour In 2008

The state of Florida has increased their minimum wage from $6.67 per hour to $6.79 per hour effective January 1, 2008. Florida’s lowest paid workers could get a slight increase of 12 cents per hour.

For a full-time job worker, the hourly 12 cents minimum wage increase means an increase of 1.8 percent annually over last year. For tipped employees, like restaurant servers, the minimum wage is also increased 12 cents and to the current $3.77 per hour.

The new state minimum wage increases in accordance with the consumer price. And the minimum wage only applies to those workers who are entitled to receive the federal minimum wage under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Florida’s Consumer Confidence Drops

The consumer confidence drops in December to the lowest level of 74 in more than five years in Florida. The jobs increased slowly in the state of Florida.

The economic report released by the state Agency for Workforce Innovation shows that the ranks of the unemployed statewide have increased 33.8% since last year, that’s 100,000. About one third of the unemployed spread in West Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties.

The state unemployment rate was 4.3 percent last month, 0.1 percent higher than October. Florida has a lower jobless rate than the nation, which had a 4.7 percent unemployment rate in November. And now, umemployment is beginning to spread to banks, mortagage companies and other financial services.