Minimum wage up 5 cents in Florida

Increase to take effect Jan. 1

By Tyler Shepard - Producer

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Florida's hourly minimum wage is going up by a nickel.

State officials announced that the wage will rise Jan. 1 from $8.05 to $8.10 an hour.

Florida law requires the state to annually calculate the rate based on increases in the federal Consumer Price Index.

Groups representing workers decried the small wage hike as "trivial," saying it's not enough to keep up with the cost of living in Florida's urban areas.

Many Republican leaders, including Gov. Rick Scott, have spoken out in the past against raising the minimum wage higher.

Since 2005, Florida's minimum wage has gone up $2.95 an hour. Voters approved a constitutional amendment in 2004 that raised the wage above the federal rate, which stands at $7.25 per hour.

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