On Jan. 1, 2004, minimum wage in Illinois climbed to $5.50 – a $0.35 increase from last year.

The raise in minimum wage will have a direct effect on many students whose hourly wage will get an unplanned lift because of the new Illinois state law. The minimum wage in Illinois has been $5.15 since it was last raised in 1997.

Workers 18 years of age and older now are required to be paid $5.50. Beginning in 2005, the law will bump minimum wage to $6.50, or $1.35 more than the 2003 rate.

Though the raise will benefit many NIU students, a possible problem is the loss of campus jobs because of the cost of the wage bump.

Stacy Naden, a senior sociology major, is pleased that the minimum wage was raised. She works on campus at the University Bookstore.

“It’s better than it was, but if I had to depend on this job for living expenses and bills, I would not work here,” she said.

Naden said her parents pay her bills and that minimum wage is hard to live on by itself.

“I definitely think the minimum wage was not increased enough,” she said.

Celeste Latham, human resources business manager and manager of student employment, said there have been no cases of lost jobs reported to human resources because of the increase in minimum wage.

“The only effect that the minimum wage increase will have on student jobs at this time is that the ranges for four of the student [payment] classifications will have to be adjusted to reflect the new hourly wage,” she said.

Latham also said the payment of wages is a non-funded university expense and must be absorbed in the context of general NIU operations, meaning NIU won’t receive outside help to cover the higher cost of some student wages.

The $0.35 increase may be covered easily by NIU, but when minimum wage climbs to $6.50 beginning in 2005, the university may need other sources of help to maintain all the student jobs on campus.