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Raising the minimum wage is a proven strategy to help working families make ends meet and spread prosperity by lifting more Missourians above poverty and into the middle class.
- Although across Missouri wages are slowly recovering from the recession, too many Missourians still struggle to get by in low wage jobs.
- Nearly 100,000 full-time, full-year workers in Missouri live below or near the poverty line – making less than $26,000 annually to support a family of three.
- Far more live paycheck to paycheck, just one unexpected car repair or medical bill away from poverty.
Increasing Missouri’s Minimum Wage to $12 Per Hour Would:
Give a Much-Needed Raise to Nearly 1 in 4 Missouri Workers. 
By 2023, 677,000 Missouri workers will see increased earnings as a result of a $12 minimum wage. Workers whose wages are raised in order to meet the new minimum wage will see an extra $2,400 in pay each year upon full implementation. (See Table 1)
Help Nearly 1 in 5 Missouri Kids.
Over 1 in 4 workers impacted by the minimum wage increase are parents who are raising nearly 266,000 Missouri kids.
Inject Over $1 billion in New Wages Into Missouri’s Economy.
This increase in wages would have ripple effects that benefit all Missourians as low wage workers are likely to spend their earnings in local communities. These dollars then increase demand for the products and services provided by flow in and out of local businesses, boosting job growth and the economy.
Allow Missouri to Invest an Additional $72 Million Annually in Services That Help Our Communities Thrive.
This additional revenue is enough to pay for the salaries of nearly 1,500 Missouri teachers or to provide childcare for over 13,000 additional children, both of which would go far to support Missouri’s current and future workforce. (See Table 2)
