HARTFORD, Conn. — The minimum wage in Connecticut will be increasing to $16.94 per hour next year, Gov. Ned Lamont announced Wednesday.

The new rate will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2026. It is a 59-cent increase from the current rate of $16.35.

The minimum wage is determined based on the percent change in the federal employment cost index, and the state Dept. of Labor reviews and announces the adjustments by Oct. 15, per a state law signed in 2019 .

The employment cost index increased by 3.6% over a 12-month period that ended on June 30, 2025.

“Nobody who works full-time should have to live in poverty,” Lamont said. “For too long, as the nation’s economy grew the income of the lowest-earning workers has stayed flat, making already existing pay disparities even worse and preventing h

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