By signing A.B. 10, California Governor Jerry Brown has laid the groundwork for his state, the nation’s most populated, to have the highest minimum wage in the country (in 2016). The increase will occur in two phases. On July 1, 2014, the state minimum wage will increase from $8 to $9 per hour. Later, on January 1, 2016, the Golden State’s minimum wage will increase to $10 per hour.  California’s minimum wage increases will have a significant impact on California employers and businesses operating, or with employees, in the Golden State. Not only will the increases impact non-exempt hourly employees, they will also affect how exempt employees must be paid. Littler attorneys are currently finalizing an in-depth analysis of how A.B. 10 will impact employers’ operations. To learn more about the minimum wage increase and how it will impact employers, please see Littler's ASAP, Raising the Floor: California Increases its Minimum Wage by Christopher Cobey and Marina Gruber.