COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – The New Year brings a new minimum wage in Ohio.
On January 1, a new state law took effect, raising the minimum wage to $9.30 an hour from $8.80. Tipped workers will now make at least $4.65 plus tips, which is a 25 cent increase from the previous $4.40 in 2021.
Some say Ohio’s restaurant workers, once commonly paid at minimum wage, may not notice a change directly linked to the increase.
“You can’t hire anyone now in a restaurant for [minimum wage]. We think the lowest we’re seeing out there now is about 12 to 13 dollars an hour,” said John Barker, the president of the Ohio Restaurant Association. “Most of the quick-serve restaurants and fast-casual restaurants, they’re starting everyone at $15. That’s kind of the new minimum right now.”
Tom Dailey, the owner of several Central Ohio Zoup! locations and the newly opened Tasty Dawg in downtown Columbus, explained he’s always paid employees above the minimum wage, but he said the increase could have an impact on the economy overall.
“I do understand the economic pressures of restaurants trying to balance doing something right for their employees economically and the economic realities of how a restaurant works,” Dailey said. “It’s a very tough balance right now.”
Dailey and many other restaurateurs are feeling the effects of unprecedented inflation, supply chain issues, and labor shortages. Some anticipate a higher minimum wage to incentivize jobs and create competition among employers.
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