Americans’ 2020 paychecks should grow

If you’re hoping to make more money in 2020, your dream could become a reality. According to a January 2020 analysis by Goldman Sachs, wage growth is continuing to accelerate this year, with earnings expected to grow by 3.5% by the end of the year, CNBC reported. That could serve as a nice boost to your current paycheck.

But the rise in wages isn’t due to employers becoming more generous. Rather, it’s the result of several factors of the current economic climate.

1. The unemployment rate is expected to decrease

Goldman Sachs predicts that the unemployment rate will drop from its current rate of 3.5% to close to 3%, CNBC reported. Unemployment has not reached 3% since 1952, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

Why this matters

“At the heart of our wage growth (and inflation) forecast is a view that declining slack will significantly boost wage growth,” Goldman Sachs economist Daan Struyven told CNBC.

A tight labor market typically leads to wage growth, which could be good news for your wallet.

2. There are more jobs available than people to fill them

There are a million more job openings in the U.S. than there are unemployed people, CNBC reported.

Tips: 25 Ways To Save 20% More of Your Paycheck Without Even Trying

Why this matters

Daniel Zhao, a senior economist at Glassdoor, told CNBC that he expects the labor market will remain strong, with increased hiring putting upward pressure on wages. This is especially true for low-income earners.

“We’re already seeing wage growth for low-income workers where the labor market is tighter grow faster than average workers,” he said.

Sectors with the most wage growth

Some sectors should see higher wage growth than others. If trends continue, retail, mining and logging, and leisure and hospitality jobs should see especially large growth.

CNBC analyzed year-over-year pay in these sectors for 2018 to 2019 and found that retail pay increased 5.1%, mining and logging pay increased 5.3%, and leisure and hospitality pay increased by 3.1%.

3. The minimum wage will rise in 24 states in 2020

Many workers who earn the minimum wage will get a pay bump this year. Twenty-four states and 48 cities and counties across the U.S. are rolling out increased minimum wages in 2020, according to the National Employment Law Project. Of those places, 17 will now have a minimum wage of $15 or more, including Seattle; Petaluma, California; and New York City.

Where the minimum wage will rise

According to the National Employment Law Project, the states that saw or will see an increase in the minimum wage in 2020 are:

Alaska

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Florida

Illinois

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Missouri

Montana

Nevada

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

Ohio

Oregon

South Dakota

Vermont

Washington

The cities and counties that saw or will see an increase in the minimum wage in 2020 are:

Arizona: Flagstaff

California: Alameda, Belmont, Berkeley, Cupertino, Daly City, El Cerrito, Emeryville, Fremont, Los Altos, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, Malibu, Milpitas, Menlo Park, Mountain View, Novato, Oakland, Palo Alto, Pasadena, Petaluma, Redwood, Richmond, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, San Leandro, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Monica, Santa Rosa, Sonoma, South San Francisco and Sunnyvale

Colorado: Denver

Illinois: Chicago and Cook County

Maine: Portland

Maryland: Montgomery County

Minnesota: Minneapolis and Saint Paul

New Mexico: Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, Las Cruces, Santa Fe and Santa Fe County

Washington: Seattle

Washington, D.C.

Why this matters

The minimum wage increases will affect more than half of the U.S. population, ABC News reported.

“[2020’s] increase is … going to be seen as the highest number of minimum wage increases of any time,” Yannet Lathrop, a researcher at the National Employment Law Project, told the news outlet.

Check it out: What you can rent on minimum wage in each state.

4. There’s a new W-4 form

The IRS released a new W-4 form in 2020 — its first redesign since 1987, The New York Times reported. According to the IRS, “the new design reduces the form’s complexity and increases the transparency and accuracy of the withholding system. While it uses the same underlying information as the old design, it replaces complicated worksheets with more straightforward questions that make accurate withholding easier for employees.”

Why This Matters

The simpler form makes it easier to see if you are having too much of your taxes withheld. If you fill out a new Form W-4 and see that you should reduce your withholdings, your paycheck will go up. However, note that if this is the case, your tax refund will be smaller.

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Good news, America, your paycheck should grow this year