Citywide Minimum Wage Laws: A New Policy Tool for Local Governments

Citywide Minimum Wage Laws provides an overview of a new trend in wage legislation that has emerged in recent years at the municipal level. Responding to Washington’s failure to raise the minimum wage since 1997, cities are beginning to enact minimum wage laws of their own. These citywide minimum wage laws allow municipalities to raise the minimum wage in their communities above the level set by the state and federal governments. This policy brief provides background on these new laws, comparing them to other wage legislation and summarizing research findings on their economic impact.