HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Montana’s minimum wage will increase 15 cents an hour to $8.65 on Jan. 1.

In 2006, Montana voters approved an initiative to raise the minimum wage and require it be adjusted annually for inflation.

The Department of Labor and Industry said Monday about 10,200 workers, or 2.2% of the workforce, received hourly wages less than $8.65 in 2019 and are likely to receive higher wages due to the upcoming increase.

The minimum wage is calculated by taking the current minimum wage of $8.50 an hour and increasing it by the 1.75% cost-of-living increase between August 2018 and August 2019. The result is 14.8 cents, rounded to the nearest nickel, making the increase 15 cents.

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