The minimum wage in Alaska will jump from $10.34 per hour to $10.85 per hour effective Jan. 1, 2023. That’s according to a Thursday press release from the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
Alaska’s minimum wage was set at $8.75 per hour beginning in 2015 after the passage of the Alaska Wage and Hour Act in 2014. It then increased to $9.75 in 2016 and has thereafter been adjusted annually for inflation, according to Alaska Statute.
The Consumer Price Index for urban consumers in the Anchorage metropolitan area is the metric used by the state to gauge what Alaska’s minimum wage should be, according to the Thursday press release. That price index, the release says, increased by 4.9% in 2021.
Federal Reserve Economic Data, which is created and maintained by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, show that Alaska’s state minimum wage has historically been higher than the federal minimum. The federal minimum wage has not increased since 2009, when it jumped from $6.55 to $7.25, FRED data show.
All hours worked by an employee during a pay period are subject to Alaska’s minimum wage guidelines. More information about Alaska’s minimum wage can be found on the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development website at labor.alaska.gov. FRED data can be found at fred.stlouisfed.org.
Reach reporter Ashlyn O’Hara at ashlyn.ohara@peninsulaclarion.com.
