California minimum wage hike delayed as budget problems persist

In an effort to close a budget deficit, California Democrats have agreed to delay a minimum wage increase for healthcare workers.

The new minimum wage for healthcare workers, set to be $25 per hour, was expected to take effect in phases over the course of the next 10 years. Approximately 426,000 healthcare workers were expected to see their first pay bumps in July, but legislators concluded that they would not be able to balance the state’s budget with the wage increase, which would cost about $2 billion.