Missouri min. wage to increase in January

By James Patrick Schmidt

Published Oct. 12, 2007

Missourians who work for minimum wage can make a New Year's resolution to earn 15 additional cents per hour next year, and their resolution will actually be accomplished.

On Jan. 1, Missouri's minimum wage will rise to $6.65 per hour because of a provision in the constitutional amendment passed in the last general election.

The amendment tied the state's minimum wage to the Consumer Price Index, which had a 2.2 percent change between July 2006 and July 2007.

The Consumer Price Index is a measurement of the changes in prices paid by urban consumers for a representative basket of goods and services, according to the US Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics Web site.

"I think any increase is going to help out," said Wanda Seeney, Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations spokeswoman. "It's not that we just chose a number. We're required to measure the increase or decrease in the index and adjust it accordingly."

Law requires employers to place posters visible to employees that display the new minimum wage so they are aware of the mandatory increase.

"We have those signs available on our Web site," Seeney said. "We also do a lot of outreach work to educate residents that it indeed has increased."

This year, the wage increased, but that will not always be the case.

"The wage can definitely go down," Seeney said. "The director makes the assertion whether the Consumer Price Index has increased or decreased and then calculates the wage accordingly."

Although the danger of a future decrease in pay might be frightening to employees at that level, those administering the shifts are not so worried, Seeney said.

"I do not see any downsides to the increase from the bill," Seeney said. "I can only see a positive effect. People will make a little bit more to help out with things at home."