The Department of Labor & Industries announced that Washington’s minimum hourly wage will remain $8.55 next year. This is the first time since 1998 that the minimum wage has not risen.
Voters approved an initiative that year tying the minimum wage to inflation. Inflation, measured by the Consumer Price Index, did not increase during the last year, but rather decreased by about two percent. Even with no increase, Washington still has the highest minimum wage in the country.