8/1/24 - State Supreme Court Says New Minimum Wage Starts Next Year

The Michigan Supreme Court says the state minimum wage will increase to around $12.50 next February.

(LANSING, Mich.) - The Michigan Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that lawmakers unconstitutionally blocked two ballot proposals in 2018.

In the 4-3 ruling, Michigan's high court said the Legislature acted inappropriately when it approved two petition-backed initiatives before Election Day in 2018 and then returned later in the year to change some of the policies.

The Supreme Court determined the original minimum wage and paid leave proposals should go into effect on Feb. 21, 2025.

Under the ruling, Michigan's current $10.33-an-hour minimum wage will increase by at least $2 an hour on Feb. 21, because the justices added an inflationary adjustment.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the new minimum wage will likely be somewhere around $12.50 an hour, giving Michigan the 17th highest minimum wage in the country among the 50 states.

Michigan's minimum wage will continue to increase in the three years following 2025 and then be tied to inflation.                                                     By 2028, it appears Michigan's minimum wage will reach about $15 an hour.

The tipped minimum wage will go to 48% of the traditional minimum wage next year, likely around $6 an hour. It's currently $3.93 an hour.