The July 1 jump in Chicago’s minimum wage to $13 an hour, from $12, was the final step in a gradual increase that began in 2015, when the city’s wage floor was $8.25. Starting next year the wage rises annually with the consumer price index, though an ordinance introduced last month seeks to raise the city’s minimum wage to $15 by 2021, plus eliminate the subminimum wage for tipped workers and exceptions for groups like teens and workers in transitional programs. Meanwhile, Illinois’ minimum wage is set to gradually rise to $15 by 2025, from $8.50 currently, part of a wave of minimum wage increases sweeping cities and states across the U.S. amid heightened awareness of income inequality.