Idaho’s minimum wage of $7.25 an hour falls below than the living wage of $9.44 an hour in the Gem State’s capital of Boise. Still, lawmakers seeking to increase Idaho’s base pay acknowledge they’re seeking to take "baby steps" at this point rather than pursue significant change.
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The minimum wage is the lowest amount of compensation an employee must receive while performing a specific job. The federal minimum wage and the minimum wage for Idaho, including Boise, are both $7.25 an hour,
according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia mandate minimum wages higher than $7.25 an hour while 14 states use the federal minimum wage, two have minimum wages lower than the federal level and five require no minimum wage, the DOL said.
Idaho State Sen. Michelle Stennett said in January 2014 that she was among Democrats working to craft a bill that would begin a conversation about raising the state’s minimum wage but acknowledged they were seeking only to take "baby steps,"
according to KTVB.com. “We have to start the dialogue, we have to start the conversation,” she said.
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The Massachusetts Institute of Technology reports $9.44 an hour is the living wage in Boise, where $19.89 an hour is the living wage for one adult with one child. A living wage is the minimum income necessary for an individual to meet his or her basic needs. These needs differ based on marital status, number of children, debt, and other cost-of-living considerations. Living wage figures for Boise are lower than overall living wage figures for the state of Idaho, which are $9.59 for a single person and $19.59 for one adult with one child,
according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
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