Did you ever wonder how the Georgia minimum wage stacks up against that of neighboring states, after so many recent changes?
The Georgia minimum wage is $5.15 per hour. While that’s not a lot, bear in mind that the Peach State is surrounded by neighbors in the southeastern U.S. that have absolutely no state minimum wage whatsoever. The nearby states of Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Alabama all have no minimum wage. Those states lie to the east and west of Georgia.
To the north and south of Georgia lie North Carolina and Florida, both of which have minimum wages that are higher than the federal minimum. Florida increased its minimum wage on January 1, 2007 to $6.67, while the minimum wage in North Carolina is $6.15 per hour.
Economy is even more of an influence than geography on Georgia’s minimum wage, however. Georgia has faced some tough economic times in the past few years and is just beginning to rebound. Some business leaders fear an increase in the minimum wage would halt hard-won job growth.
The Georgia minimum wage was a big issue in the 2006 mid-term elections. Lieutenant Governor Mark Taylor, a Democrat, ran on a platform that included increasing the state minimum wage by $1 per hour, to $6.15. Taylor was roundly defeated by incumbent Sonny Perdue, a Republican. Perdue received 58% of the vote compared to Taylor’s 38% of the vote.
Based on those election results, an increase in the Georgia minimum wage seems unlikely in the immediate future. Governor Perdue voted against the last proposed state minimum wage hike, in 2001. In spite of Perdue, the bill passed and the state minimum wage increased from $3.25 to $5.15 per hour.
Perdue campaign spokesperson Derrick Dickey called Taylor’s proposal “election-year pandering.” According to Dickey, Perdue has created a pro-business climate in Georgia, which has fueled job creation. The Georgia Chamber of Commerce also issued a news released saying a minimum wage increase would set the state’s economy back just as it begins to rebound and expand following a recession.
