Minimum wage going up in 10 states on New Year's Day

Jan. 1 will bring good news for minimum-wage workers in 10 states:

In nine states, the minimum wage increases because it is indexed to inflation, rising with the cost of living. Rhode Island passed a law raising its minimum wage in June, which takes effect Jan. 1. Nine other states and the District of Columbia have minimum wages above the federal rate of $7.25 an hour.

If you work full-time at $7.25 an hour, you earn $15,080 a year, just below the poverty level for a family of two. In 2013, Washington state workers will earn $19,115 for a year of full-time minimum-wage work. Of course, many minimum-wage workers aren't able to get full-time hours as their employers keep them part-time to prevent them from qualifying for benefits.

Workers in 31 states remain at $7.25 an hour, and House Republicans will continue to block the minimum wage increase that would make full-time work pay enough to keep people out of poverty.