Nineteen states, including Michigan, have increased their minimum wage, impacting over 8.3 million workers nationwide, according to the Economic Policy Institute. In Michigan, the minimum wage rose to $13.73 per hour, marking a 10% increase.
Mid-Michigan Now
January 5, 2026
Nineteen states will see a wage bump on Jan. 1, 2026. And, for the first time, there will be more states with a minimum wage at or above $15 per hour than states adhering to the federal minimum of $7.25, according to the liberal-leaning Economic Policy Institute.
Restaurant Business Magazine
January 5, 2026
The surge in wage is “critical for improving affordability,” according to the Economic Policy Institute. This increase, which went into effect on Jan. 1, will aid 8.3 million workers, the progressive think tank said. The economic impact will total $5 billion in increased wages.
San Antonio Express-News
January 5, 2026
A July 2025 report from the Economic Policy Institute by Ben Zipperer finds that, if the Trump administration follows through on its goals of deporting 4 million people over four years, there will be 3.3 million fewer employed immigrants and 2.6 million fewer employed U.S.-born workers at the end of that period.
It sounds counter-intuitive, but the research is solid, says Zipperer. For example, aggressive deportations can cause a sharp and abrupt enough fall in labor supply that some employers will respond by shutting down operations entirely.
Supply Chain Brain
January 5, 2026
Every city was selected based on its cost of living, health care, community, and climate—factors important to retirees. Every city was evaluated using a combination of state, county, and city-level data. We gathered data on these factors and criteria from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
Investopedia
January 5, 2026
Ismael Cid Martinez, an economist at the Economic Policy Institute, said the people who qualify for SNAP are likely working low-wage jobs that tend to be less stable because they are more tied to the nation’s macroeconomics. That means when the economy weakens, it’s the low-wage workers whose hours are cut and jobs are eliminated, which in turn heightens their need for government support. Restricting such benefits could threaten their ability to get back to work altogether, Martinez said.
“These are some of the matters that tie in together to explain the economy and (how) the labor market is connected to these benefits,” Martinez said. “None of us really show up into an economy on our own.”
Associated Press
January 5, 2026
The big picture: More than 8.3 million workers across the country saw their pay go up on Jan. 1, according to an estimate from the progressive Economic Policy Institute.
Stunning stat: For the first time, there are more workers in states with a minimum wage of $15 an hour or higher than those with the federal minimum of $7.25.
Axios Richmond
January 5, 2026
On New Year’s Day, workers in 19 states received a pay increase as new minimum wage laws took effect. These changes are expected to benefit more than 8.3 million workers, adding an estimated $5 billion in earnings nationwide, according to a report by the Economic Policy Institute.
iHeart Radio
January 5, 2026
According to the Economic Policy Institute, with these changes, more workers across the country will have a baseline of more than $15 an hour than those that abide by the federal wage of $7.25, a number that has not changed since 2009.
Spectrum News
January 5, 2026
The pay increases will affect about 8.3 million workers, who will gain a combined $5 billion over the course of 2026, according to the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute, or EPI.
Beginning next year, the number of workers living in a state that guarantees a $15 minimum wage will exceed the number living in a state that offers the federal wage floor of $7.25 per hour, the EPI found.
ABC News
January 5, 2026