South Dakota minimum wage to jump 50 cents in January

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota’s minimum wage will go up on Saturday.

The minimum wage will rise 50 cents on Jan. 1, from $9.45 an hour to $9.95 an hour. A state law passed in 2016 mandates that the minimum wage increase annually to keep pace with the cost of living as measured by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Consumer Price Index.

The increase applies to all South Dakota employers. The hourly minimum wage for tipped employees is currently $4.97, half the wage for non-tipped employees.

The increase comes as state labor officials report more than 28,000 job openings across South Dakota.