Effective at the start of 2023, the hourly minimum wage in Michigan rose above $10.
The state’s minimum wage saw a small jump from $9.87 to $10.10. Shamar Herron is the executive director of Michigan Works Southeast, an employment support organization. He says while the increase is a step in the right direction, it’s still well below the living wage for Washtenaw County, which is $16.36 for an individual.
“You know, anytime we can get more dollars into our hard-working residents’ pockets, that’s a positive. We do have to consider our businesses and where do they squeeze those margins to be able to afford those wages.”
The state’s 2018 ballot proposal was supposed to boost the minimum wage to a little more than $13 per hour. That increase was reduced by the Republican-led Legislature. A court ruling will be announced in February to determine if that reduction was constitutional.
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