State minimum wage set to increase 15 cents in January to $8.65 an hour

(KPAX) Gov. Steve Bullock announced Monday that Montanans earning minimum wage will see the rate increase to $8.65 per hour beginning January 1, 2020.

The 2019 minimum wage in Montana is $8.50 per hour. Currently, 29 states and the District of Colombia have minimum wages above the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.

A press release from the Governor’s Office said an estimated 10,200 Montana workers, or 2.2 percent of the workforce, currently receive hourly wages less than $8.65 per hour, and are likely to receive higher wages due to the 2020 minimum wage increase.

In 2018, the industry with the largest number of workers earning minimum wage was the accommodations and food services industry, followed by the retail trade industry.

“This increase ensures Montanans earning the minimum wage don’t fall further behind, but we still have work to do to make a living wage a reality for all Montanans,” Bullock said in Monday’s release.