This election cycle, California voters rejected the minimum wage initiative Proposition 32 (Prop 32). The initiative would have provided a stair-step increase in statewide minimum wage from $16 an hour to $18 an hour by 2026. Without Prop 32, California’s state minimum wage will increase to only $16.50 an hour, as announced on August 1, 2024.
California employers should prepare for the increase starting January 1, 2025.
