Florida minimum wage set to increase in the new year

Minimum-wage workers in Florida will get a little more in their paychecks in 2019.

The state’s minimum wage will be $8.46 an hour as of Tuesday, up from $8.25 an hour in 2018, according to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.

The minimum wage for tipped employees will be at least $5.44 an hour, up from $5.23 an hour in 2018.

Florida voters in 2004 approved a constitutional amendment establishing a state minimum wage that is higher than the federal minimum wage.

The state minimum wage increases because it is tied to inflation. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour.