Minimum wage in Seattle moves toward $15

Published 5:43 pm Friday, January 1, 2016

SEATTLE — Seattle’s minimum wage takes another step toward $15 an hour Friday.

Depending on the size of the business and whether the employees have health insurance, workers in Seattle will make as much as $13 an hour minimum in 2016.

In November, voters in Tacoma approved a graduated increase to $12 an hour.

The statewide minimum in Washington is $9.47 an hour for the second year. It will no longer be the highest in the nation, as Massachusetts and California are both increasing to $10. Alaska’s minimum wage also is higher than Washington’s, going up to $9.75 an hour on Friday. Other states with higher statewide wages include Connecticut and Rhode Island.