Virginia follows the federal minimum wage, which is currently set at $7.25 per hour. At this rate, a Virginian working full-time will make only $15,080 each year before taxes. Virginia is one of only a handful of other states that have opted not to increase its minimum wage beyond the federally mandated minimum. 67% of Americans believe the minimum wage should be increased to $15/hour, but the issue continues to remain deeply partisan in the Commonwealth. 

View from the Right:

Republicans believe that it’d be great for everyone to make more money, but don’t believe that the economy will be able to sustain a minimum wage increase. They believe that forcing businesses to raise their minimum wage, especially to a proposed $15, would be unsustainable and put many small businesses out of business. Particularly in Virginia, where we have rural counties with a much lower cost of living, $7.25 can, in many cases, create a living wage. Additionally, they are concerned that businesses that were once attracted to the low cost of doing business in Virginia may rethink their choices if employee costs go up. 

View from the Left:

Democrats believe that Virginia’s minimum wage was set more than a decade ago and no longer reflects the needs of society. Since the minimum wage was set, prices have skyrocketed, new and expensive technologies are becoming a part of everyday life, and we are leaving minimum-wage workers behind. They believe that an individual, especially those providing for a family, simply cannot survive on $15,080 a year. Additionally, they point out that it’s very likely that many minimum-wage workers are receiving social benefits from the state to make up for unlivable wages, which means the state is essentially subsidizing companies who refuse to pay their employees a living wage. Accordingly, companies like Walmart and Target have preemptively raised their employees’ wages and as a result, more money has been spent in those stores. 

View from the General Assembly:

During the 2019 Session, the General Assembly dodged any efforts to increase the minimum wage because of the partisan divide on the issue. There was, however, a smattering of different minimum wage bills presented with different solutions.

With the new Democratic majority, the minimum wage will certainly be at the forefront of the 2020 General Assembly session. A majority of Americans - and Virginians - support these efforts to create a more sustainable workforce that can afford to feed their families and participate in the economy in a valuable way. Some form of an increase will likely make its way through the legislature, but the question remains which iteration the reform will take. 



At VaOurWay, we believe that “[e]very Virginian should be afforded the same access to the opportunity to reach their full potential so that they can become contributing members of the community.” In practice, that means that when a Virginian works full-time for a whole year, they should be able to support their family with their wages and live with dignity. Furthermore, we recognize that workers paid a respective wage are less likely to need government assistance and more likely to provide resources for the existing economy. A livable wage guarantees more self-sufficient workers and a healthier Virginia.