Come January 1st, 2013, residents making minimum wage in Portland (and the rest of Oregon) are going to get a little boost to their income, which should help ease those struggling to make it. While $26 a month might not sound like much money, it's enough to get a few more meals on tables and that's a tremendous thing.

When Jan. 1 hits, cost-of-living hikes will boost Oregon’s minimum wage by 15 cents.

The new rate, of $8.95 per hour, would mean an extra $312 a year, according to the Silverton-based Oregon Center for Public Policy.

Oregon voters had approved a measure tying the state’s minimum wage to cost-of-living increases in 2002.

“Strengthening the buying power of low-wage workers is especially critical in this economic climate,” said Chuck Sheketoff, the Center’s executive director, in a release. He pointed out that 60 percent of jobs lost during the recession were middle-wage positions while 58 percent of the newly created jobs during the recovery were low-wage occupations.

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