Mo. minimum wage to rise to $7.35 an hour in 2013

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri's minimum wage will rise by a dime to $7.35 an hour in 2013.

For the past several years, Missouri has followed the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. That's because the federal rate was equal to or greater than the state's minimum, which is adjusted annually based on the cost of living. But inflation has now pushed Missouri's minimum wage above the federal standard. The new wage is posted on the website of the state labor department. The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry expressed concern Tuesday that Missouri's new minimum wage could put it at a competitive disadvantage. It said Illinois will be the only neighboring state with a higher minimum wage than Missouri. The chamber wants legislators to repeal the automatic inflationary adjustment to Missouri's wage.