As the United States marks more than six years without an increase in the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, 14 states and several cities are moving forward with their own increases, with most set to start taking effect on Friday.
The increases come in the wake of a series of "living wage" protests across the country, including a November campaign in which thousands of protesters in 270 cities marched in support of a $15-an-hour minimum wage and union rights for fast food workers.
Food service workers make up the largest group of minimum-wage earners, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
With Friday's increases, the new average minimum wage across the 14 affected states rises from $8.50 an hour to just over $9.