Minimum wage in California is going up again in 2024. Is it enough to live on? CPIR Affiliate J. Paul Leigh Quoted in the Sacramento Bee
December 27, 2023
The Sacramento Bee
By Briana Taylor
Starting in 2024, California will have the second highest
statewide minimum wage behind Washington, which is more than
double the stagnant $7.25 an hour federal limit. According to the
California Department of Industrial Relations, wages are set to
rise from $15.50 to $16 per hour in January. In April, starting
pay for fast-food workers employed at large chains will be $20 an
hour. But in a state crippled by high prices, wage experts say
the bump is a slow crawl toward a livable income. Typical
expenses like food, child care, medical, housing and
transportation determine the living wage or hourly rate that an
individual in a household must earn to support themselves and
their family’s basic needs. Will California’s new minimum wage be
enough?
J. Paul Leigh received his degree in Economics from the
University of Wisconsin, Madison. His fields of expertise are
health and labor economics as well as econometrics.
