Chicago Could Raise Minimum Wage to $15 by 2021

Chicago could hike its minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2021, nearly four years ahead of an Illinois wage law signed by the governor earlier this year.

Alderman Sophia King (D) introduced a wage ordinance June 12, saying low-wage workers in Chicago “simply can’t wait” for the wage hike passed by the state Legislature and signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) on Feb. 19. The new law boosts Illinois’ statewide minimum wage of $8.25 per hour in stages, but doesn’t hit the $15 target until Jan. 1, 2025. Illinois is one of seven states with a law requiring a ...