Wash. minimum wage will rise to $9.19 per hour

OLYMPIA — Washington state’s minimum wage is increasing 15 cents to $9.19 per hour. The Department of Labor & Industries said today the new rules will go into effect in January. Washington is already the state with the highest minimum wage in the country. Washington voters approved a process to calculate the minimum wage in 1998, and the new increase reflects a rise in the Consumer Price Index. That has been driven upward recently due to gasoline prices. Oregon has the next highest minimum wage, and its 2013 floor will be $8.95 per hour.