By Ashley Portero
South Florida Business Journal, September 27, 2023
Florida's minimum wage will increase by one dollar on Sept. 30, nearly three year after residents voted to gradually raise the state's minimum wage until it reaches $15 an hour. ...
"It's great that wages are going up, but now the issue is it won't be enough to keep up with inflation," said Jennifer Todd, CEO of LMS General Contractors in Pompano Beach.
Todd was an early supporter of Amendment 2, a state constitutional amendment passed in 2020. The law raised Florida's minimum wage from $8.56 an hour to $10 in 2021, with a plan to increase the wage by $1 each year until it reaches $15 an hour by 2026.
Supporters argue the minimum wage increase was drastically overdue in Florida, where the cost of living has outpaced wages in large metropolitan areas like Miami. ...
Higher wages can benefit businesses, as well as employees. For example, it has made it easier to retain administrative employees, Todd said.
The construction industry, which is already experiencing a severe labor shortage, will need to keep boosting pay to fill its shortfall of workers. ...
Copyright 2023 American City Business Journals