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Arizona Employers Must Comply with State Minimum Wage Law

The federal minimum wage provisions are contained in the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which is administered and enforced by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Employment Standards Administration's Wage and Hour Division.

Many states, including Arizona, also have their own minimum wage laws. In cases where an employee is subject to both the state and federal minimum wage laws, the employee is entitled to the higher of the two minimum wages. The federal law has incremental increases planned for July 24, 2008 ($6.55) and for the same date in 2009 ($7.25), while the Arizona state law sets forth that the minimum wage will be increased again on January 1, 2008, and increased annually every successive January 1st by the increase in the cost of living. Based on this formula, it is likely the Arizona minimum wage will continue to be higher than the national minimum wage. Keep in mind, whichever rate is higher, is the one an employer must comply with.

For more information on this and other federal employments laws, visit www.dol.gov and for more information on the Arizona state minimum wage law, which includes printer friendly compliance posters, please go to www.ica.state.az.us