New Hampshire minimum-wage earners getting 2 raises this year

Associated Press, July 23, 2007

CONCORD, N.H. --New Hampshire workers who earn minimum wage are getting two raises this year, starting Tuesday.

The federal government is raising the minimum wage 70 cents to $5.85 an hour Tuesday, the first increase in a decade.

"We've got to pay the federal minimum rate. We can't be lower," state Labor Commissioner George Copadis said.

Earlier this year, Gov. John Lynch signed a bill raising the state minimum wage -- the lowest in New England -- from $5.15 to $6.50 as of Sept. 1.

And according to state law, New Hampshire's minimum wage will continue to leapfrog the federal one since state law gives workers the higher of the two rates.

Next July, the federal government will raise the minimum wage another 70 cents, to $6.55. Then another state increase will take effect almost two months later, to $7.25.

The federal government will catch up and raise its rate to $7.25 in 2009.

The increases affect tipped employees, as well. Those workers currently earn a base rate of $2.38 an hour. As of Tuesday, that goes up to $2.63. And on Sept. 1, the rate goes up to $2.93.

Next July, the rate for tipped workers goes to $2.95 an hour and then to $3.26 on Sept. 1, 2008.

###