Some working Maricopans might see beefier paychecks next month.

Arizona will increase its minimum wage Monday from $13.85 to $14.35.

The 50-cent bump is part of an annual increase established by 2016’s Fair Wages and Healthy Families Act. The act provides annual increases in minimum wage based on the cost of living and requires employers to provide paid sick leave.

The increase will make Arizona’s minimum wage the eighth highest in the nation next year, according to Paycom.

Sounds like good news for employees, right? In metro Phoenix, it’s worth noting, inflation was worse than anywhere else in America last year.

That begs the question: How will the new minimum wage impact employers and consumers in Maricopa?

Some say employment numbers could take a hit.

For example, when minimum wages increased from $11 to $12 in 2020, many employers shared their experiences in keeping a local business afloat. Typically, that meant a balance between reducing staffing and increasing prices.

“[Customers] don’t want you to raise the prices, but how can you not raise them?” Headquarters Restaurant and Bar owner Alma Farrell told InMaricopa in 2020. “That’s the biggest issue, is trying to find the balance to raise the wages for your employees, keep the vendors that you have, and keeping the customers happy.”

AZ Slims Restaurants Operating Partner Lucas Barnett said finding solutions that work for everyone can be a tough choice, especially for restaurants.

“It’s tough in low-margin businesses [like restaurants], but we do our best to balance the choice between raising prices and lowering margins,” he told InMaricopa today. “We don’t want to pass those along to our customers.”

Solutions may include getting creative with scheduling changes or finding more efficient ways of getting the work done.

For others, it means being more mindful about hirings.

“It doesn’t have an impact on our core business, but it does reduce opportunities for paid internships,” said InMaricopa owner Vincent Manfredi.

The publication employs nine full-time staff, plus a handful of part-timers, contractors and interns.

Barnett agreed.

“We want to pay our employees as much as possible, so that makes it difficult,” he said. “We just have to do our best to find really good employees.”

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