Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger signed a package of bills on Thursday that will raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by January 1, 2028. The bills also help programs that give people job training and help them find jobs all over the state.
According to the Office of the Governor, the legislation keeps Virginia’s minimum wage at $12.77 an hour this year, raises it to $13.75 on January 1, 2027, and then to $15 on January 1, 2028. Spanberger also signed a separate measure requiring farm workers in Virginia to be paid the state minimum wage.
“Today, we are putting more money in the pockets of Virginia workers,” Spanberger said in the release.
The governor also signed several workforce-related bills. Those measures are aimed at bringing more workers into Virginia’s offshore wind industry, expanding apprenticeship access for high school students in culinary arts and information technology, and helping students train to become certified nurse aides.
Other bills signed Thursday would help furloughed or unpaid federal workers by allowing localities to extend personal property tax deadlines during a government shutdown. Another measure is intended to connect federal workers who lost jobs through DOGE-related cuts with openings in state government.
Additional legislation creates a state internship coordinator for students interested in public service and gives local workforce development boards more flexibility in how they support local job needs.
The governor’s office said the new laws follow an earlier batch of measures focused on healthcare, housing, and energy costs. It also pointed to broader economic development efforts, including a previously announced investment by Avio USA Inc. in Pittsylvania County.
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