KSHB 41 reporter Marlon Martinez covers Platte and Clay counties in Missouri. Share your story idea with Marlon.
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Missouri workers earning minimum wage received a New Year's gift as the state's minimum wage increased to $15 per hour on Wednesday, marking the final step in a gradual increase approved by voters in 2024.
The change comes after voters approved Proposition A in 2024, which gradually increased the minimum wage to $15 by 2026. The increase also benefits tipped employees, as employers are required to pay tipped workers at least 50 percent of the minimum wage plus any amount necessary to bring the employee's total compensation to a minimum of $15 per hour.
Clyde McQueen, CEO of Full Employment Council, an organization that helps people find jobs, said the wage increase acknowledges economic realities facing workers today.
"That increase acknowledges the inflationary aspect that's happened in housing, transportation, food, clothing, etc.., and that wage increase then innovates and motivates more people to actually pursue employment," McQueen said.
McQueen recognizes this is a baseline and believes the increase will help drive employers to be more competitive and raise their pay. He said many people are "cash poor" and "credit challenged," making employment decisions more complex than in previous years.
"They ask very specific questions. Compared to five years ago, where is the location of the business of the employer? Okay, so that means, how much gas is it going to take me to get to and from work? What's my shift time? Is it early in the morning? Is it eight to five, or is it late in the evening? That means, can I get childcare for my kids?" McQueen said.
The wage increase comes as workers face rising costs for basic necessities that come out of their net income after taxes and Social Security deductions.
"Electricity rates, gas, cost of food, and those are the basis in child care support, and those all come out of a person's net income," McQueen said. "So at the end of the day, what do I have left over to be able to motivate me to keep doing this job?"
McQueen said the increase shows that Missouri's elected officials recognize workers as people with families and responsibilities beyond their jobs.
"I think this recognizes that the state of Missouri, our elected officials see that as being important, particularly on this time and now. And I think that just lets people know at least someone sees me as not just as an employee, but as a person," McQueen said.
While $15 per hour provides a foundation, McQueen emphasized it should not be considered the ceiling for wages.
"$15 an hour, I think that's a good baseline, but that, by all no means, is the ceiling," McQueen said. "Obviously, as expensive as things are right now, that can only be a baseline. It cannot be the top."
The Full Employment Council has seen increased demand for its services, serving about 20,000 people last year with placement rates up almost 30 percent. Current job placements are averaging about $20 per hour, and McQueen believes the $15 minimum wage will create a larger labor pool.
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