Ohio's minimum wage now $7.95 an hour

Ohio's minimum wage increased on Jan. 1, 2014.

The minimum wage rose 10 cents to $7.95 per hour at the start of the new year. For tipped employees, the new minimum increased 5 cents per hour to $3.98.

The increases were mandated by Ohio voters who in 2006 approved an amendment to the state constitution that links the minimum wage to inflation.

The Consumer Price Index for urban wage earners and clerical workers rose 1.5 percent during the period used to calculate wage increases. A year ago, Ohio's minimum wage jumped 15 cents at the beginning of 2013.

Ohio is one of 13 states raising the minimum wage at the beginning of the year, according to the Washington-based Economic Policy Institute. Most of those states, like Ohio, have automatic increases to adjust for inflation.

The group estimates that 330,000 workers in Ohio will benefit directly from the wage hike.