Mon, 04 May 2026 06:30:00 +0000

Scientists Warn Arizona’s Minimum Wage Fails to Keep Up—2025 Reality Set As 2025 unfolds, policymakers and researchers across Arizona are sounding a critical warning: the state’s minimum wage has not kept pace with inflation, rising living costs, and shifts in economic conditions. Recent scientific analyses confirm that Arizona’s current minimum wage falls significantly below the wage level needed for workers to afford basic necessities, creating growing concern among economists, labor scientists, and public health experts. ### Why Arizona’s Minimum Wage Fails to Meet Actual Costs In 2023, Arizona’s minimum wage remained unchanged at $12.15 per hour—still far lower than the Fair Labor Standards Act’s recommended regional living wage, which exceeds $16 per hour in many part of the state. Scientific studies indicate that a single worker in Arizona cannot afford a modest two-bedroom apartment, nutritious food, transportation, and healthcare combinations without earnings above $15–$17 per hour.