The federal minimum wage in the United States is more unpredictable than in other countries because there is no consistency in when wages will go up and is in the hands of politicians. In France and other countries, the minimum wage automatically goes up tied to inflation and average salaries.
Read ArticleVox
8/15/2019
Since 2009, the federal minimum wage has not changed. More than a quarter of minimum wage earners are supporting families. If the federal minimum wage were tied to inflation or productivity, it would be significantly higher than $7.25 per hour.
Read ArticleUC Berkeley Labor Center
10/14/2014
The federal minimum wage has been $7.25 per hour since July 24th, 2009. This government website includes links to learn about the history of the minimum wage, minimum wage laws in different states, and information on raising the minimum wage.
Read ArticleU.S. Department of Labor
Raising the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2025 would lift wages for more than one fifth of the workforce. This increase would benefit 6.2 million workers currently in poverty.
Read ArticleEconomic Policy Institute
David Cooper
7/17/2019
The current federal minimum wage is not enough money for a family to live on and is therefore unacceptable. The Raise the Wage Act, which would raise the federal minimum wage to $12 by 2020, is supported by businesses, would boost the economy, and has bipartisan support.
Read ArticleCommittee on Education & The Workforce
Robert Scott
The federal minimum wage has stayed at $7.25 per hour since 2009, and is unlikely to change in the near future. However, some cities and states, from Oregon to New York, have adopted their own local minimum wage laws.
Read ArticlePew Research Center
Drew Desilver
2/24/2020
Increasing the federal minimum wage would benefit some workers, but would leave other workers jobless. Employers, especially of small businesses, will be unable to keep their full staff if the minimum wage increases, which will increase poverty.
Read ArticleForbes
Jack Kelly
7/10/2019
Increasing the federal minimum wage will decrease the amount of labor needed and will lead to unemployment. Increasing the minimum wage will also make products and services more expensive.
Read ArticleFoundation for Economic Education
John Phelan
3/25/2019
The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, but state and city governments can require a higher minimum wage. Economists disagree about the effects of raising the federal minimum wage; some argue that raising the federal wage will decrease jobs, while some argue that the federal minimum wage has been stagnant for 10 years while the prices of goods and services have gone up.
Read ArticlePlanet Money, NPR
Stacey Vanek Smith & Cardiff Garcia
5/16/2019
More than half of Americans favor a federal minimum wage of $15 an hour to address inequality. Those that oppose a higher minimum wage want to protect small businesses and are worried that increasing wages will decrease available jobs.
Read ArticleArnold Ventures
Laura Arnold
12/9/2019
