Discover the Top 12 Surprising and Entertaining Facts About Minimum Wage You Never Knew!

1. Time-Looped Minimum Wage States

When the going rate has been stuck in a time loop longer than Bill Murray's Groundhog Day escapades: around 20 states, including Alabama, Georgia, and Texas, have not increased their minimum wage beyond the federal minimum of $7.25 per hour since July 2009.
Source => seattletimes.com

2. The 25-Cent Origins

Once upon a wage, in a land where 25 cents could buy you a loaf of bread and maybe a tad bit of dignity: The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 originally set the federal minimum wage at a meager 25 cents per hour for some industries. The march of progress brought the wage game up to a full dollar by 1961, and numerous bumps in the road (or inflation) have led us to the 2021 rate of $7.25 per hour.
Source => dol.gov

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3. Cities Trekking Beyond Federal Rates

In a world where "Minimum Wage: The Final Frontier" sounds like a rejected B-movie title, many states and cities have boldly gone where the federal government has yet to trek: New York City flaunts a $15 per hour minimum wage, while California and Massachusetts are following suit with their own law-abiding salary escalations.
Source => businessnewsdaily.com

4. A Trip Back to 1956

In an ironic twist even Charles Dickens would chuckle at, today's minimum wage earners are living in the past, all the way back to the time of Eisenhower and sock hops: The current federal minimum wage is so low in value, it hasn't seen such levels since 1956, and despite increases over the years, it hasn't been raised since 2009, resulting in a record-breaking gap between raises and a $5,000 annual difference for those earning it today compared to a 2009 worker with the same wage and hours.
Source => cnbc.com

5. The Downward Wage Rabbit Hole

In a bizarre throwback to 1964, when pennies were dropped and workers groaned, the minimum wage took a tumble down a rabbit hole reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland and her mind-boggling escapades: This surreal period witnessed the minimum wage reducing from $1.25 to $1.15 due to the 1964 amendments to the Fair Labor Standards Act, targeting specific industries like agriculture and retail. But fear not, for this monetary mayhem was put to rest in 1965, when it returned to $1.25, restoring a semblance of balance to the working world.
Source => dol.gov

6. Shiny Quarters and Disapproving Glares

Back in the day, when a shiny quarter could buy you more than just a disapproving glare: The 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act first introduced a federal minimum wage of a whopping 25 cents per hour. Over the years, the minimum wage rose to $1.00 an hour by 1955, and since 2009, it's been set at $7.25 an hour. States can go above and beyond, but they can't set a lower wage—that's the rule from the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Source => tbowleslaw.com

7. High-Fiving Into 2025

Step right up and hold onto your time machines, folks, because we're about to take a trip to 2025: an era where minimum wage workers will be high-fiving and celebrating their bigger, better paychecks! Buckle up, it's pay-raise time: If the Raise the Wage Act of 2021 becomes a reality, 32 million workers across the U.S. will enjoy a federal minimum wage of $15 an hour by 2025. This hefty hike means an additional $107 billion in wages for our deserving low-paid friends, and an extra $3,300 a year for the average year-round worker. Cheers to that!
Source => epi.org

8. D.C.'s Soaring Eagle Wages

In the land of politicians and monuments, where coffee runs and power lunches are fueled by dreams of grandeur, the commoner's currency is set to soar like an eagle: As of July 1, 2022, Washington D.C. will boast a minimum wage of $16.10 per hour for non-tipped employees, and $5.35 per hour for tipped ones, making it the highest rate in the District since the Fair Shot Minimum Wage Amendment of 2016 hitched the city's pay to the Consumer Price Index's star.
Source => mayor.dc.gov

9. Los Angeles Charms Higher Pay

Who needs Hollywood magic when you've got the City of Angels working its own kind of charm: In May 2015, Los Angeles City Council voted to raise the minimum wage from $9 to $15 an hour by 2020, joining other cities like San Francisco, Chicago, and Oakland in boosting the paychecks of nearly 50% of LA's workforce earning less than $15 an hour.
Source => nytimes.com

10. Rollercoaster State Minimums

From golden state fortunes to Georgia peanuts, minimum wage is a rollercoaster ride across the United States: As of 2021, California boasts the highest state minimum wage at $15.50 per hour, while Georgia humbly settles for $5.15 per hour for employers with six or more employees, and some states simply follow the federal lead of $7.25 per hour, making it crucial to know your local figures to ensure fairness in the land of opportunity.
Source => dol.gov

11. Illinois's Abe-tastic Raises

In the Land of Lincoln, they're Lincoln those wages: Illinois is paving the way to a $15 an hour minimum wage by 2025; with already five increases since 2019, the state minimum wage will climb to $13 an hour on January 1, 2023. Not only that, but youth under 18 with fewer than 650 annual hours will nab $10.50 an hour, while tip-savvy employees will secure a minimum of $7.80 an hour. That's a lot of Abe-tastic spending power!
Source => illinois.gov

12. Wage-Gap Goblins Beware!

Step right up for the Battle of the Sexes, Minimum Wage Edition! Here's a titbit that will have the wage-gap goblins scurrying for cover: Nearly 2 out of 3 women currently earning less than $15 per hour are breadwinners for their families, emphasizing the massive ripple effect a higher minimum wage could have on their financial stability and overall happiness.
Source => americanprogress.org