Minimum wage is always an interesting topic — since there seems to be no rhyme or reason to it! Some states raise their minimum wage rates every year like clockwork, while other states never budge.
And as for that federal minimum wage rate, it has come a long way since it was first created in 1938. Back then, minimum wage workers earned a whopping $0.25 per hour! Today, minimum wage sits at $7.25 per hour. OK, that’s 29 times higher than it was, but some say that it still isn’t enough to make ends meet if you’ve got a family to support.
How do states compare to the federal rate?
– 18 states and Washington D.C. pay minimum wage workers more than the federal rate.
– 27 states, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands all have minimum wage rates that are lower than the federal rate, so the federal rate applies.
– 5 states don’t have any kind of state minimum wage rate at all.
No matter where you live, the minimum wage rate was (and still is) designed to do one very important thing — make sure that workers are never exploited. Without it, employers would have way too much power.
If you’re one of the millions of minimum wage workers out there, the Compliance Poster Company Research Team has you covered! We’re constantly on the lookout for any changes in minimum wage legislation, on both the state and federal levels. As soon as any changes hit the law books, we’ll let you know… Count on us to keep you “posted”!