Colorado Minimum Wage

As of January 2008 the minimum wage in Colorado is $7.02. The federal law has minimum wages going to $6.55 an hour as of this week and to $7.25 an hour by next July 2009. Colorado's will likely be higher by then. So if you are making $15000.00 a year you are over the minimum wage! Still many business owners complain and may even cut back on their employees. Costs are rising. For example in the pizza business costs of the food items are going up just as they are in the grocery store. So either a business owner will try raise prices or cut back. This all seems rather sad to me. The problem with service industries is that it is not as profitable as manufacturing can be. Our growth was for a long time tied to manufacturing and that is now going downhill as it is outsourced to other countries. That leaves us with more low paying jobs. Some then sought wealth in finance and global corporations. We all know of the quite high compensation in those areas at least until the recent slowdown in the economy. But the average american sure isn't benefiting from this as he downsizes his house, his vehicle, his job. This is just my observation but it does make you wonder how it will all play out.