HELENA – The Department of Labor and Industry says the state’s minimum wage will remain at $7.25 an hour in 2010.
Montana law requires an annual adjustment to the minimum wage to be calculated no later than Sept. 30, based on inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index. The law does not include an option for a reduced wage when the CPI declines.
The CPI is a measure of the average change in prices over time for a fixed market basket of goods and services, such as food, shelter, medical care and transportation. It is published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Montana’s minimum wage increased twice in 2009, rising from $6.55 an hour to $6.90 an hour in January based on the CPI and to $7.25 in July when the federal minimum wage increased.