As Washingtonians rang in the new year with their craft beer and pizzas, the state’s minimum wage increased yet again.

The new wage is $9.47, an increase of 13 cents from 2014’s rate of $9.32.

Washington boasts the highest minimum wage in the nation, according to Washington State Department of Labor and Industries.

Regulated by Initiative 688, which voters approved in 1998, the state must “increase the wage rate by the rate of inflation.”

So while wages in 2007 increased by 30 cents, in 2010 the wage stayed static. Fluctuations in minimum wage are based on calculations provided by the Department of Labor and Industries using the consumer price index for urban wage earners and clerical workers.

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) sends out “economic assistants” to collect information on prices of goods and services from doctors offices to local supermarkets and even universities. During a single month, 80,000 products are reviewed based on price, quality and quantity.

These values are double-checked by what the BLS calls, “commodity specialists.” If something looks haywire, they make necessary changes to those values. Then the values get compared with surveys taken by consumers as well as census data. A few mathematical equations later and the bureau sends out the information to be published.

Unlike Washington’s labor and industries department dealing with complicated algorithms, EWU relies on a computer program that finds all the students who are working minimum wage and increases their pay.

The most student employment has to deal with, said Sheryl O’Keefe, a human resources consultant assistant for student employment, is reminding supervisors that they do not need to provide any extra information on their student workers.

“It’s just a press of the button … and [human resources] gives us a call and tells us it’s done,” said O’Keefe.