Missouri workers are starting 2026 with a higher minimum wage, as voter-approved "Proposition A" goes into effect.
The state’s minimum wage is now $15 an hour, up from $13.75 last year, a change supporters said is meant to help workers keep up with rising living costs and strengthen Missouri’s workforce.
Clyde McQueen, president and CEO of the Full Employment Council in Kansas City, said the change could help Missouri retain workers and attract others from outside the state.
"When you have the cost of housing, the cost of transportation, the cost of child care, it is not a static cost – it increases," McQueen pointed out. "We have to make sure that when people go to work, they can afford those types of expenses after their net income."
He noted that wages better reflective of living costs can also reduce pressure on public assistance programs over time. Still, not everyone supports the change. Opponents argued that higher labor costs could strain small businesses and lead to higher prices or reduced hours for workers.
McQueen cautioned that the minimum wage increase has broader implications, from workforce participation to how families plan for the future. He noted that economic insecurity can create conditions that can make communities more vulnerable.
"If they can't see the value-add of working in a way that enables them to meet the daily needs of themselves and their families, they'll just resort to whatever," McQueen cautioned. "'OK, there's no sense in me skilling up to try to get a better-paying job,' or, 'It's no sense in me trying to work a regular job, you know, I just can't make ends meet.'"
McQueen added that the pay increase also sends an important message to workers.
"I think it does set a threshold for people throughout the state that makes us more competitive and lets people know that we see them – as employees and as our workforce – that we must be able to help them meet the needs of a challenging economy," McQueen emphasized.
At least 19 states, including Missouri, have increased minimum wages for 2026, affecting over 8-million workers.
This story was originally published by Missouri News Service, a partner with KRCU Public Radio.
