Minimum wage workers in Ohio saw an increase in their paychecks this month.

Minimum wage increased by ten cents because of a higher cost of living, making it $7.40 an hour as of Jan. 1.

Hannah Halbert of Policy Matters Ohio said the extra boost will help the nearly 269,000 minimum wage workers in Ohio, giving families more spending money, although it may not seem like much.

“It’s a 10 cent per hour wage, but 10 cents spread over the Ohio economy keeps Ohio moving forward and helps Ohio families meet their daily needs,” Halbert said.

There are myths about raising minimum wage that Halbert said she would like to set straight, for example, the rumor that raising minimum wage kills jobs and the money mainly helps teenagers.

Halbert said states that have recently raised minimum wage have seen no difference in unemployment, and three-quarters of people who receive minimum wage are over 20.

“There’s really not a lot of downsides when we raise the minimum wage,” Halbert said.

Lisa DuBois, IT and advertising director of DuBois Book Store, said 10 cents does not seem like a huge amount, but it is a good thing.

“People deserve to make a living wage,” DuBois said.

DuBois said there is no way to predict how the extra 10 cents for hourly workers will affect the store because each employee works a different amount of hours. But she said she does not foresee any problems.

“We’ve been here since 1936,” she said. “We’ve seen minimum wage go up tons of times.”

Sophomore architecture major Tim Soeder works two jobs, paying his tuition with a majority of his paychecks. He works at McDonald’s, where he makes more than minimum wage. This is his fourth semester at DuBois Book Store, where he earns minimum wage.

Soeder said he is indifferent to the 10 cent raise.

“I don’t know how much it’s really going to help someone,” he said.

For the university, the raise means adding 10 cents to more than 4,400 paychecks in more than 5,600 jobs, said Ami Hollis, associate director of Career Services. Hollis said all student employees will receive a 10 cent raise, including those who earn more than minimum wage.

Despite the extra money it may cost the university, Hollis said students earning more is a positive thing.

“This is good news that the state and federal government want to make sure minimum wage stays aligned with the cost of living,” Hollis said.

Contact Maranda Shrewsberry at [email protected].