After a midterm election that resulted in change around the country, Arkansas workers will be taking home a little more change themselves over the next three years. On November 6, 2018, Arkansas voters elected to increase the state’s minimum wage over the next three years from the current hourly minimum wage of $8.50. As shown in the table below, the minimum wage will increase on January 1 for the next three years:
| Hourly Minimum Wage | Effective Date |
| $9.25 | January 1, 2019 |
| $10.00 | January 1, 2020 |
| $11.00 | January 1, 2021 |
Notably, this minimum wage increase does not affect Arkansas’s tip credit, which is codified at Arkansas Code Section 11-4-212.
Employers with an Arkansas presence may want to review their existing wage schedules and effectuate adjustments to the wages of any employees who earn less than the $9.25 hourly minimum wage that will take effect on January 1, 2019.
