Missourians voted on five other ballot measures in addition to Proposition A on Tuesday. | Kelly Dereuck/Missouri Business Alert
Workers earning minimum wage in Missouri will see a boost in their paychecks after voters approved a measure increasing the wage floor to $15 an hour by 2026.
Nearly 59% of voters approved of Proposition A, according to unofficial results from the Missouri Secretary of State as of 11:50 p.m. Tuesday, with more than 92% of precincts reporting.
In 2018, voters approved a measure to raise the state’s minimum wage to $12 an hour by 2023. It went up another 30 cents this year due to inflation. The federal minimum wage is currently $7.25 an hour.
The minimum wage will increase to $13.75 in 2025, rising an additional $1.25 in 2026. Further increases will be considered each year based on changes in the consumer price index, beginning in 2027.
It will also require that employers offer paid sick leave, at a rate of one hour of leave for every 30 hours worked. Employers with more than 15 workers will be required to provide seven days of paid sick leave a year, while employers with fewer than 15 employees will only have to provide five paid sick days.
Proposition A had the backing of several labor unions, such as Missouri AFL-CIO and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, and groups including the Missouri Workers Center, the Missouri NAACP and the ACLU of Missouri.
Business groups including the National Federation of Independent Business, Associated Industries of Missouri and the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry all opposed the measure, saying it would increase the cost of doing business in the state.
Economists have said that raising the minimum wage would increase incomes for low-wage workers, but it may cause businesses to hire fewer employees or choose not to replace employees who leave their jobs. It may also be harder for people seeking jobs that pay the minimum wage to find employment.
However, some small business owners have said that they consider paying higher wages to be an investment in their workforce and a way to increase employee retention.
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