SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom on July 31 announced California’s statewide minimum wage will increase to $17.40 per hour beginning January 1, 2027 — which is higher than any current statewide minimum wage in the nation and nearly two-and-a-half times the federal minimum wage, which Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress continue to leave frozen at $7.25 an hour despite mounting everyday cost pressures for working families.

The federal minimum wage has been $7.25 an hour since 2009 – more than 17 years. This is the longest the federal minimum wage has gone without an increase since it was adopted in 1938. And during those 17 years inflation has dramatically raised the cost of living for working families.

The increase is automatic under California law, which adjusts the minimum wage annually to keep pace with inflation.