Missouri’s minimum wage to rise in 2023

The new year is slated to bring an increased minimum wage to the Show-Me State.

The new minimum pay starting Jan. 1 is $12 per hour, up from $11.15 per hour in 2022, according to the Missouri Department of Labor & Industrial Relations.

It’s the final hike approved by voters in 2018 through Proposition B. That measure called on the state’s minimum wage to increase in increments of 85 cents per hour through 2023, according to past reporting. After that, the state’s minimum wage would be indexed for the cost of living, according to a news release from the Business for a Fair Minimum Wage organization, a national network of business owners, executives and organizations that supported Prop B.

“Minimum wage increases are a great boost for the new year,” said Holly Sklar, CEO of Business for a Fair Minimum Wage, in the release. “These needed raises don’t stay in workers’ pockets. They energize communities, as workers and their families have more to spend at local businesses.

“Minimum wage raises also pay off in lower employee turnover, increased productivity and better customer service, which strengthens small-business competitiveness.”

Andy Faucett, owner of Bambinos Cafe in Springfield, is among Business for a Fair Minimum Wage supporters.

“As a family business, we’re glad to see Missouri’s minimum wage going up for the new year. It’s an investment in Missouri communities,” Faucett said in the release. “We pride ourselves on taking care of our customers and our employees. We raised our own starting pay to $14–$15 per hour, and have no trouble finding dependable staff."