California's minimum wage to increase to $11 and $12 per hour on Jan. 1

OAKLAND — Under legislation to increase the minimum wage to $15 per hour overtime by 2023, California’s minimum wage will increase on Jan. 1 to $12 per hour for employers with 26 employees or more and $11 for employers with 25 or fewer employees.

State law requires that most California workers be paid the minimum wage. Some cities and counties have a local minimum wage that is higher than the state rate. Workers paid less than the minimum wage are urged to contact the Labor Commissioner’s Office in their area to file a wage claim.

Employers must post information on wages, hours and working conditions at a worksite area accessible to employees. Notices for the wage orders in English and Spanish can be downloaded and printed from the workplace postings page on the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) website.

Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. signed SB 3 (Leno) on April 4, 2016 making California the first state in the nation to commit to raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour statewide by 2022 for large businesses, and by 2023 for small businesses. The legislation increases the minimum wage over time, consistent with economic expansion while providing safety valves to pause wage hikes if negative economic or budgetary conditions emerge.

Employees with work-related questions or complaints may contact DIR’s call center in English or Spanish at (844) 522-6734.