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Junior aerospace engineering student worker\u00a0Safraz Rashdan and Director of the Institute for Economic Forecasting\u00a0Sean Snaith weigh in on the impact of the Florida minimum wage increase to $15 per hour at UCF. This package aired in the Sept. 30 webcast. Anchored by Kinsley Catarineau.<\/p>\n
Gabriella Scozzafava
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Florida’s minimum wage rose from $14 to $15 per hour on Wednesday, the final increase in a series of minimum wage hikes over the last five years.<\/p>\n
In 2020, voters approved an amendment to\u00a0Article X<\/a>, Section 24<\/a>\u00a0of the Florida Constitution that raised the minimum wage to $10 per hour on Sept. 30, 2021, and set additional $1 increases each year until it reached\u00a0Wednesday’s new rate.<\/p>\n Junior aerospace engineering major Safraz Rashdan said he and his co-workers were happy to receive the increase at their campus Chick-fil-A jobs. Rashdan said he works 20 to 25 hours a week and uses his paychecks to cover groceries, monthly rent and expenses.<\/p>\n While Rashdan hasn\u2019t seen significant changes in his spending habits with the increase, he said he is able to put more money into his savings.<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s a big plus for me on my savings account,\u201d Rashdan said. \u201cBut at the end of the day, like, my mindset is still the same with how much I budget money, and I don’t think it’ll change. The plus side is I know I have more money now, even if it’s a little, but it’s always nice to have some money in the bank account.\u201d<\/p>\n The law states that employers may not take action against employees for exercising their right to the current minimum wage pay. Both employees and the state can bring civil court action against employers for violating the amendment.<\/p>\n The law doesn\u2019t mean employers\u2019 behavior can\u2019t change with the amendment.<\/p>\n