The state-wide minimum wage for Maine is $13.80 per hour as of January 01, 2023.
Maine minimum wage in 2021: US$12.15 (effective January 1, 2021)
Maine minimum wage in 2020: US$12
Maine minimum wage in 2000: US$5.15 ($7.93 after inflation adjustment)
Maine minimum wage in 1980: US$3.10 ($10.39 after inflation adjustment)
Have been eliminated from a section of the Maine labor law posterMaine’s labor law poster that lists those employees who are exempt from minimum wage and overtime provisions of the law.
Lawmakers should seize this opportunity to continue building on the success of Maine’s minimum wage, and get our state closer to an economy in which all workers earn a living wage.
It is unwise for Maine lawmakers to push minimum wage hikes, which result in business closings and increased unemployment, especially when joblessness remains high due to the pandemic fallout.
Given the economic upheaval, it is not surprising that some Maine lawmakers are considering implementing minimum wage increases in an attempt to provide relief to their struggling constituents.
Proponents claimed that raising the minimum wage will reduce the number of Maine residents who need public assistance and is particularly important for single parents and the elderly.
In addition to any Maine-specific minimum wage exemptions described above, the Federal Fair Labor Standards act defines special minimum wage rates applicable to certain types of workers.
Furthermore, Maine’s minimum wage is higher than the national average, so a nationwide sampling of wage theft cases is likely to produce a lower average than the true Maine average.
Employees in domestic service in private homes, if they are employed by the resident or family of the resident, are no longer exempt from the Maine minimum wage and overtime requirements.
Raising Maine’s minimum wage will will help hundreds of thousands of families and kick of a virtuous cycle of people-powered prosperity and growth as those workers spend more in the local economy.
As a small business owner in the Pine Tree State, we know you want to stay on top of recent increases to Maine’s minimum wage, and that’s why we put together this quick guide as a starting point.
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