A progressive advocacy group estimates that 147,000 Mainers will see their wages increase next year when the state minimum wage jumps from $12.75 an hour to $13.80.
Under a provision of a state law that went into effect last year, Maine's minimum wage will be adjusted annually based on the cost of living index in the Northeast. The Maine Center for Economic Policy says newly released data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show an 8% increase in prices over the past year.
Just under 71,000 Mainers currently earn less than the new minimum wage, according to the Center's estimates. It expects an additional 76,000 Mainers who earn slightly more than the new minimum wage will get a boost as employers adjust their wage scales.
