Delaware legislators on Tuesday introduced a bill to raise the state’s minimum wage from $9.25 to $15 by 2025. Last raised in 2019, Delaware’s minimum wage currently sits $2 above the federal mark. The bill would raise the wage to $10.50 per hour in 2022, followed by $11.75 in 2023, $13.25 in 2024 and $15 in 2025. The measure has support from all 14 Senate Democrats, with 18 of the 26 House Democrats listed as co-sponsors. It needs 11 votes in the Senate and 21 in the House. Gov. John Carney is in favor of it.
- Does that include state employees? Many have wages below $15 per hour. I guess the state will be increasing taxes! — Mark Blair
- Are they employees of an employer? Then, I guess so. — Benjamin Black
- And what about pay raises for those currently making $15/hour? Or are they now considered unskilled labor? — Steve Durnan
- I love to see posts by people who are so selfish they can’t stand to see someone else get ahead. — Tommy Bou
- I’m sure it’s not people being selfish. My concern is the fact that the state truly wants to prevent tax increases and hasn’t prepared for a wage increase for employees. Further, having entry-level employees increase to $15 hourly, without corresponding increases for more skilled employees, will cause a lack of productivity. — Mark Blair
- Wages up equals taxes up. — Howard Gaines III
- You realize lots of places have raised it to $15, and small business is still alive, right? — Chris Henry
- Rest in peace, what’s left of Delaware’s small businesses. I’ve managed multiple of those small businesses, most recently in California, and the ones that are alive are alive because they jacked their prices up and made us cut the employees’ hours. But you keep on smoking what they’re selling. — Katherine Hannah
- I promise you a small business can survive but will the customer be willing to pay more? Will no one lose their jobs, so that other employees can get the $15 an hour? Will Kiosk take over even more, so more jobs are lost? A small business can survive, but they will suffer. — Shawn Cortijo
