Connecticut’s minimum wage will rise to $16.94 per hour on Jan. 1, 2026, under an automatic adjustment tied to federal labor cost data, Gov. Ned Lamont announced Wednesday.
The 59-cent increase, up from the current $16.35, reflects a 3.6% rise in the federal employment cost index over the past year, according to the state Department of Labor.
The change follows a 2019 state law that links annual wage increases to the U.S. Department of Labor’s index, rather than requiring separate legislation each year.
Lamont was a supporter of the minimum wage increase legislation.
“Nobody who works full-time should have to live in poverty,” Lamont said. “For too long, as the nation’s economy grew the income of the lowest earning workers has stayed flat, making already existing pay disparities even worse and preventing hardworking families from obtaining financial security. This is a fair, modest increase, and the money earned will go right back into our own economy, supporting local businesses in our communities.”
Under the law, the labor commissioner must announce adjustments by Oct. 15 each year, with changes taking effect the following Jan. 1.
