The United States minimum wage has been a major bone of contention in recent times. In December 2020, the US House of Representatives voted on a minimum wage hike to $15 per hour by the year 2025, yet this bill has failed to pass the Senate. In Ohio, the minimum wage is affected by the state-level law, and is a critical aspect for workers and employers alike. In this essay, we will examine the current state of the US minimum wage in Ohio and then look to the future — namely the state of minimum wage in Ohio in 2023.
Currently, the minimum wage in Ohio is set at $8.70. The state of Ohio has not passed a minimum wage increase since June of 2019. This is different than other states in the US, such as Washington and New York, where the minimum wage is set at $13.50. The Ohio minimum wage further differs between employees who work in the state and those who work outside of Ohio, as well as those employed on federal enclaves within the state.
Moving forward to 2023, the current minimum wage for Ohio should remain steady at its current rate. This is due to the fact that there has been no legislative action to raise the minimum wage. However, the Ohio Department of Commerce is responsible for indexing the current minimum wage and can potentially decide to adjust the same. However, this would be dependent on factors such as inflation and the current rate of economic activity in the state.
In addition, when considering the future of the US minimum wage in Ohio, it is important to note the presidential election, which is slated for November of 2023. Should a new president be elected in 2023 and they choose to prioritize raising the US minimum wage, it is possible that Ohio could look to adopt this federal policy. A new president who is pro-minimum wage increase could potentially be able to push through a nationwide increase of the federal minimum wage to the desired $15 an hour by 2025.
Ultimately, US minimum wage in Ohio should remain unchanged in 2023. Although the Department of Commerce can make slight changes, there will be no major adjustments until the 2024 legislative session and possible endorsements from the newly-elected president in 2023. The current federal laws and regulations should remain the same, until there is a push from the federal government for a nationwide hike in minimum wage. Until then, the state of Ohio’s minimum wage should stay locked in at $8.70.
