(The Center Square) – Virginia’s minimum wage is set to increase from $11 to $12 per hour Jan. 1, a rise that comes after an attempt by Republican lawmakers to halt the minimum wage increase failed earlier this year.
The increase comes as a result of 2020 law that outlined incremental wage increases starting in 2021. The law specified that employers must pay $12 an hour starting Jan. 1 and paves the way for $15 an hour in future years, but that’s dependent on future action by the General Assembly.
In order for minimum wage increases outlined in the law for 2025 and 2026 to become effective, the General Assembly must reenact the law before July 1, 2024. If lawmakers reenact the law, the minimum wage could increase to $13.50 an hour starting Jan. 1, 2025, and to $15 an hour starting Jan. 1, 2026.
If the legislature fails to reenact the wage increases by that date, the Commissioner of Labor and Industry is required to annually adjust the $12 minimum wage to account for inflation.
Republican lawmakers introduced legislation earlier this year that attempted to block the scheduled wage increase for 2023 and freeze the minimum wage at $11. The legislation, House Bill 320, passed the Republican-majority House of Delegates in February but was struck down in a Senate committee later that month.
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