Dozens of states, cities and counties will see increased minimum wages in 2026, helping millions of Americans combat an increasingly urgent affordability crisis .

On Jan. 1, 2026, the minimum wage will increase in 19 states and 49 cities and counties, with an additional four states and 22 localities lifting their minimums later in 2026, according to an annual report from the National Employment Law Project, an employee advocacy group. In 2026, 79 jurisdictions will have a minimum wage of $15 or more.

“Policies increasing the minimum wage have been a lifeline for underpaid workers who have been the most impacted by a growing affordability crisis − defined here as the growing gap between household incomes and the cost of housing, groceries and other basics,” wrote Yannet Lathrop, the org

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