RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Minimum wage workers in Virginia are making about 27 percent more now that a state-mandated increase has taken effect.
The minimum wage in the commonwealth increased Saturday from the federally mandated minimum of $7.25 an hour to $9.50.
The May 1 increase is part of a state law passed last year.
The minimum wage will increase again in January to $11 an hour and in 2022 to $12 an hour.
Planned increases to $13.50 an hour and $15 an hour in 2026 go into effect only if a future legislature approves those increases.
The state minimum wage does not apply to workers under age 16, or to workers under age 18 who are full-time students and work less than 20 hours a week.
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