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01/05/2006: "New Minimum Wage As Of Jan. 1"

Washington's minimum wage increases 28 cents to $7.63 an hour beginning Jan. 1, 2006.

The Department of Labor and Industries recalculates the state's minimum wage each year in September as required by Initiative 688, which Washington state voters approved in 1998.

The initiative requires the state to adjust the minimum wage according to the change in the federal "CPI-W," which is a national index covering the cost of goods and services needed for day-to-day living. That index rose 3.8 percent during the 12 months ending Aug. 31, 2005.