Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia and Washington raised their minimum wage on Jan. 1, according to an ABC News report.

As of Jan. 1, Seattle’s minimum wage increased by 79 cents, reaching $20.76 per hour for all businesses, regardless of size. The other half of the building will also close for in-person business later this year, another casualty of Seattle’s rising business costs.

The new year is bringing minimum wage increases in 21 states. That means more than 9 million Americans, including Californians, are getting a pay bump this paycheck. As of January 1, the minimum wage is now $16.

The minimum wage in New York has increased by 50 cents, now reaching $15.50 an hour in our area. For full-time employees, the additional 50 cents per hour amounts to about $1,000 a year before taxes.