Minimum wage and inflation: These two charts show how much workers have fallen behind
3 years, 10 months ago

Minimum wage and inflation: These two charts show how much workers have fallen behind

CNN  

CNN — With Congress already battling over hiking the minimum wage to $15 an hour, President Joe Biden likely raised a few eyebrows when he recently said that thefederal minimum wage would actually be $20 if it were indexed to inflation. While the President bungled two different statistics at a CNN town hall last week, the thrust of what he said is accurate: The minimum wage, which has been stuck at $7.25 an hour since 2009, has fallen far behind in terms of both inflation and productivity. The federal minimum wage has not kept up In the town hall, Biden was referencing a data point from the Center for Economic and Policy Research, a progressive think tank, the White House told CNN. “It’s a reasonable thing to say, society is getting richer, you have workers – custodians cleaning toilets and dishwashers – those people should share in it, as well.” Inflation has also squeezed workers Inflation has also been eating away at the buying power of the federal minimum wage for the last few decades.

Productivity Inflation Congress Workers Biden Cnn Federal Minimum Wage Productivity Growth  fallen  policy  inflation  minimum  charts  raised  growth  federal  productivity  wage  research  kept  workers

History of this topic

Mexico raises its still-low minimum wage by 12%, but it marks no increase in dollar terms
2 weeks, 6 days ago

Mexico raises its still-low minimum wage by 12%, but it marks no increase in dollar terms

Associated Press  

MEXICO CITY — Mexico announced Wednesday that it will increase its still strikingly low daily minimum wage by 12% next year. That is still only about $1.71 per hour, compared to a U.S. federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. However, many U.S. states have minimum wage rates that range from $10 to $16 per hour. Because living costs are …

California voters reject measure that would have raised minimum wage to nation-high USD 18 per hour
1 month ago

California voters reject measure that would have raised minimum wage to nation-high USD 18 per hour

Live Mint  

Sacramento, Nov 20 Voters in California have rejected a ballot measure that would have raised the state minimum wage to USD 18 per hour by 2026, the highest in the country. The current minimum wage rates are USD 16 per hour for most workers and USD 20 in the fast-food sector. The health care sector will eventually see its minimum …

Soaring inflation helped lead Trump to victory – here’s why some of his policies might drive prices higher again
1 month, 1 week ago

Soaring inflation helped lead Trump to victory – here’s why some of his policies might drive prices higher again

New Indian Express  

President-elect Donald Trump owes his political comeback in large part to voters’ concerns over the soaring price of everything from gasoline and housing to coffee and bagels. But in an ironic twist, some of Trump’s own policies – which he heavily promoted on the campaign trail – could send inflation soaring once more if enacted. Stagnant real wages Exit poll …

Here’s where Trump and Harris stand on 5 issues affecting workers
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Here’s where Trump and Harris stand on 5 issues affecting workers

NPR  

Here’s where Trump and Harris stand on 5 issues affecting workers toggle caption Mario Tama/Getty Images; Win McNamee/Getty Images Both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have promised to make life better for workers if elected. But the presidential candidates’ stances are miles apart on many issues affecting workers, including the minimum wage, overtime pay and the power of labor unions. …

Arizona and Massachusetts to Decide on Minimum Wage for Tipped Workers
2 months ago

Arizona and Massachusetts to Decide on Minimum Wage for Tipped Workers

Associated Press  

Two states will decide in November whether to allow businesses to pay tipped workers, like food servers, bartenders and bellhops, less than the minimum wage as long as customer tips make up the difference. In Arizona, Proposition 138 would allow tipped workers to make 25% less than the regular minimum wage, while in Massachusetts, One Fair Wage is proposing to …

Should the minimum wage be lower for workers who get tipped? Two states are set to decide
2 months ago

Should the minimum wage be lower for workers who get tipped? Two states are set to decide

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “You have no security when …

Editorial: The federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour is poverty pay. It’s time to raise it
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Editorial: The federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour is poverty pay. It’s time to raise it

LA Times  

It’s been 15 years since workers earning the federal minimum wage got a raise. That is poverty pay, and an increase to the federal minimum wage is long overdue. In 2016, he said he wanted to raise the federal rate to at least $10, but later said minimum wage hikes should be left to the states, which is effectively what’s …

Kamala Harris could make history as the first president to work at McDonald’s
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Kamala Harris could make history as the first president to work at McDonald’s

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Harris mentioned her brief stint on the fryer …

It has now been 15 years since the federal minimum wage rose to $7.25
5 months ago

It has now been 15 years since the federal minimum wage rose to $7.25

NPR  

It has now been 15 years since the federal minimum wage rose to $7.25 toggle caption Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images The most recent hike to the federal minimum wage occurred on July 24, 2009, back when former President Barack Obama was still in his first year in office and the Black Eyed Peas topped the Billboard charts. According to the Bureau …

The shocking state of the restaurant industry: ‘We can’t afford to be open. We can’t afford to be closed.’
7 months, 1 week ago

The shocking state of the restaurant industry: ‘We can’t afford to be open. We can’t afford to be closed.’

LA Times  

In October, Lauren and Peter Lemos locked the doors of their Chinatown sandwich shop for what they thought would be the last time. Gavin Newsom signed AB 1228, the new California law that increased minimum wage for fast-food chain workers by nearly 25%, bumping hourly pay to $20 for restaurant locations with more than 60 outposts in the U.S. “Gas …

Senate shoots down additional minimum wage increase
8 months, 1 week ago

Senate shoots down additional minimum wage increase

NL Times  

As expected, a majority in the Senate voted against an additional 1.2 percent increase in the minimum wage on Tuesday. The parties were concerned that a further increase in the minimum wage would be too big a burden on entrepreneurs and could, therefore, endanger jobs. The BBB also pointed to the high costs for the treasury - welfare benefits are …

Government pushes for minimum wage increase to keep pace with inflation
8 months, 4 weeks ago

Government pushes for minimum wage increase to keep pace with inflation

ABC  

In short: The federal government has called for the minimum wage to keep pace with inflation to ensure real wages do not go backwards The federal government has called for the minimum wage to keep pace with inflation to ensure real wages do not go backwards The government says its tax cuts were designed to be in addition to a …

Will Labor's tax cuts be dragged into a minimum wage increase debate?
10 months, 3 weeks ago

Will Labor's tax cuts be dragged into a minimum wage increase debate?

ABC  

Some of the country's lowest-income earners are branding a call to limit the minimum wage increase to account for changes to stage 3 tax cuts "disgusting" and questioning why they should be subject to different conditions. The Australian Industry Group has asked the Fair Work Commission to reduce the size of this year's wage increase by the amount of the …

Minimum Wage To Rise In 22 States On Jan. 1, 2024
11 months, 4 weeks ago

Minimum Wage To Rise In 22 States On Jan. 1, 2024

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING Workers in 22 states and dozens of localities will see a wage hike on New Year’s thanks to cost-of-living adjustments baked into minimum wage laws. “In many areas, the mandated wage floor is starting to rise above the $15 that long served as a rallying cry for low-wage workers.” Although Congress hasn’t raised the federal minimum wage …

Truss-backed economists say minimum wage is ‘destroying jobs’ and call for cut
1 year, 1 month ago

Truss-backed economists say minimum wage is ‘destroying jobs’ and call for cut

The Independent  

Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Commission co-chairman Douglas …

Pay rise comes for New Yorkers, but some chafe at compromise
1 year, 7 months ago

Pay rise comes for New Yorkers, but some chafe at compromise

Associated Press  

ALBANY, N.Y. — A deal to raise minimum wages in New York would keep the state near the top of the list of places with the highest base pay for low-paid workers, but the raise amount is disappointing some labor activists who had hoped for a bigger bump. The minimum hourly wage would rise to $17 in New York City …

Push in states for $20 minimum wage as inflation persists
1 year, 8 months ago

Push in states for $20 minimum wage as inflation persists

Associated Press  

ALBANY, N.Y. — Just years after labor activists persuaded a handful of states to raise their minimum wage to $15 per hour, workers initially thrilled with the pay bump are finding their hard-won gains erased by inflation. A bill in New York would raise the state’s minimum wage to $21.25 by 2026, and then adjust it each year going forward …

Measure to hike California’s minimum wage to $18 fails to qualify for November election
2 years, 5 months ago

Measure to hike California’s minimum wage to $18 fails to qualify for November election

LA Times  

California voters will not get a chance in November to vote on whether to increase the minimum wage to $18 an hour. The minimum wage initiative was not among seven measures that had enough valid signatures to qualify for the general election ballot by Thursday’s deadline, according to the California secretary of state. California’s minimum wage for all employers is …

WA workers on minimum wage to get 5.2 per cent pay rise to help with cost of living
2 years, 6 months ago

WA workers on minimum wage to get 5.2 per cent pay rise to help with cost of living

ABC  

The minimum wage in Western Australia will increase by 5.25 per cent, giving the state's lowest paid workers an extra $40.90 per week, following a decision by the WA Industrial Relations Commission. Key points: The 5.2 per cent wage hike is below Perth's 7.6 per cent inflation rate WA is experiencing record low unemployment The minimum wage in WA will …

Who will benefit from a higher minimum wage? Women and younger workers
2 years, 6 months ago

Who will benefit from a higher minimum wage? Women and younger workers

ABC  

The national minimum wage will increase by $1.05 next month, to $21.38 an hour. Slightly above inflation, for the time being The Fair Work Commission says the national minimum wage will increase by 5.2 per cent from 1 July. The FWC says workers are considered "low-paid" if they earn the national minimum wage rate or award classification levels below the …

Lifting the minimum wage is anything but reckless — it’s what low earners need
2 years, 6 months ago

Lifting the minimum wage is anything but reckless — it’s what low earners need

ABC  

Stand by for something "reckless and dangerous". That's what former prime minister Scott Morrison said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese would be if he asked the Fair Work Commission to grant a wage rise big enough to cover inflation. New Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is planning to ask the Fair Work Commission to grant a wage rise big enough to cover …

Wage debates and inflation are just the tip of what business want the new government to tackle
2 years, 7 months ago

Wage debates and inflation are just the tip of what business want the new government to tackle

ABC  

As parliament welcomes some new suits, Luke Williams is busy cleaning them. But just like new Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Luke Williams supports rising the minimum wage by 5.1 per cent in line with inflation. "It's certainly becoming a more challenging economic environment as the new government takes power." The first challenge facing Albanese is to restore Australia's economy Photo …

More substantial minimum wage increase set for next year: Report
2 years, 7 months ago

More substantial minimum wage increase set for next year: Report

NL Times  

The minimum wage will rise more quickly than the Cabinet previously announced as part of an effort to improve purchasing power of people in lower income categories, broadcaster NOS reported. The four political parties which joined together to form the Cabinet previously agreed to increasing the minimum wage in 2024 and in 2025 by a combined total of 7.5 percent. …

Inflation triggers California minimum wage increase in 2023
2 years, 7 months ago

Inflation triggers California minimum wage increase in 2023

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California’s minimum wage will jump to $15.50 per hour next year, Gov. “But it’s clear that we face a lot of headwinds: gas prices remain high, food prices are high because of inflation.” California lawmakers voted to increase the minimum wage to $15 per hour in 2016, but the increase was phased in over several years. But …

Will lifting the minimum wage worsen inflation and raise interest rates?
2 years, 7 months ago

Will lifting the minimum wage worsen inflation and raise interest rates?

ABC  

Wages have become the latest battleground in the election, with debate raging about how much extra workers can get paid without sending businesses broke and consumer prices soaring. Key points: The Fair Work Commission is due to hand down its annual minimum wage decision in June Unions say 5.5 per cent is a fair increase while employer groups want no …

California’s minimum wage will rise to $15.50, triggered by soaring inflation
2 years, 7 months ago

California’s minimum wage will rise to $15.50, triggered by soaring inflation

LA Times  

California’s minimum wage for large employers stands at $15 an hour. “If high inflation sustains” beyond this summer, Bosler said, “it’s possible that there will be another jump by another 50 cents in the future years.” California’s current $15 minimum hourly wage for large businesses is the nation’s highest, according to federal data. Hours before state officials released their new …

Should California have a $18 minimum wage? Voters may get to decide
3 years ago

Should California have a $18 minimum wage? Voters may get to decide

LA Times  

California voters could get to decide whether the state minimum wage goes up to $18 an hour, at a time when rising prices and living costs are eating into workers’ household incomes. It’s overdue for $18.” He said the time is right to push for a higher minimum wage because the pandemic highlighted how many Californians working full-time jobs still …

Joe Biden’s Biggest Economic Problem? Inflation Is Rising Faster Than Wages.
3 years, 1 month ago

Joe Biden’s Biggest Economic Problem? Inflation Is Rising Faster Than Wages.

Slate  

If you ask most Americans about the job market right now, they’ll tell you it’s fantastic. Unsurprisingly, in a poll last month, two-thirds of Americans told Reuters and Ipsos that “inflation is a very big concern to me,” while the share rating it as the most important issue in the country has started to tick up in Gallup’s survey. For …

Restaurant paying living wage mocks hiring struggle claims: ‘It’s a cheap labour shortage’
3 years, 1 month ago

Restaurant paying living wage mocks hiring struggle claims: ‘It’s a cheap labour shortage’

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The TikToker who goes by the …

$15 wage becoming a norm as employers struggle to fill jobs
3 years, 4 months ago

$15 wage becoming a norm as employers struggle to fill jobs

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The signs and banners are dotted along suburban commercial strips and hanging in shop windows and restaurants, evidence of a new desperation among America’s service-industry employers: “Now Hiring, $15 an hour.” It is hardly the official federal minimum wage — at $7.25, that level hasn’t been raised since 2009 — but for many lower-skilled workers, $15 an hour …

The real reason employers can’t hire enough workers (opinion)
3 years, 6 months ago

The real reason employers can’t hire enough workers (opinion)

CNN  

Editor’s Note: Jill Filipovic is a journalist based in New York and author of the book “OK Boomer, Let’s Talk: How My Generation Got Left Behind.” Follow her on Twitter. CNN — As life in the United States tiptoes back toward something resembling Before Times, many employers are facing an unexpected problem: they can’t hire the workers they need. Think …

McDonald’s raises minimum pay at corporate locations as workers in 15 cities plan strikes for $15 hourly wage
3 years, 7 months ago

McDonald’s raises minimum pay at corporate locations as workers in 15 cities plan strikes for $15 hourly wage

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors …

Biden to sign $15 minimum wage for federal contract workers
3 years, 7 months ago

Biden to sign $15 minimum wage for federal contract workers

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} President …

Biden To Sign $15 Minimum Wage Executive Order For Federal Contractors
3 years, 7 months ago

Biden To Sign $15 Minimum Wage Executive Order For Federal Contractors

Huff Post  

President Joe Biden is following through on a campaign pledge that’s expected to boost hourly pay for hundreds of thousands of workers. Senior administration officials said the president plans to sign an executive order Tuesday to increase the minimum wage for workers under federal contracts. In addition to instituting a more aggressive pay scale, the Biden order also phases out …

Opinion: Black women delivered for Biden. Now it’s time for Congress to deliver on a $15 minimum wage
3 years, 8 months ago

Opinion: Black women delivered for Biden. Now it’s time for Congress to deliver on a $15 minimum wage

CNN  

Editor’s Note: Rebecca Dixon is executive director of the National Employment Law Project. Black women helped deliver the presidency and the Senate to the Democrats, who ran on the promise of a $15 an hour minimum wage, among other things. Raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour — and eliminating the abysmal $2.13 federal subminimum wage for tipped …

Thumbs Down: Democrat Senator Kyrsten Sinema evokes 'Maverick' McCain
3 years, 9 months ago

Thumbs Down: Democrat Senator Kyrsten Sinema evokes 'Maverick' McCain

Hindustan Times  

Democrat Senator from Arizona Kyrsten Sinema voted against the motion to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour on Friday. In a statement, Sinema said that she believes the minimum wage hike should be worked on as a separate issue and not with the Covid-19 relief bill. Senators in both parties have shown support for raising the federal …

Democrats tussle over minimum wage. Kamala Harris is caught in the middle
3 years, 9 months ago

Democrats tussle over minimum wage. Kamala Harris is caught in the middle

LA Times  

Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to break a tie on a procedural vote as the Senate works on President Biden’s $1.9-trillion COVID -19 relief package on Thursday. William Barber II, one of the nation’s leading civil rights activists, defined the fight over raising the national minimum wage as Kamala Harris’ first fork-in-the-road moment since she became vice president. Harris’ defenders …

Biden hails House passage of $1.9T virus bill, now to Senate
3 years, 9 months ago

Biden hails House passage of $1.9T virus bill, now to Senate

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The House approved a $1.9 trillion pandemic relief bill that was championed by President Joe Biden, the first step in providing another dose of aid to a weary nation as the measure now moves to a tense Senate. That chamber’s nonpartisan parliamentarian, Elizabeth MacDonough, said Senate rules require that a federal minimum wage increase would have to be …

COVID-19 bill must drop minimum wage hike, arbiter decides
3 years, 9 months ago

COVID-19 bill must drop minimum wage hike, arbiter decides

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Senate parliamentarian dealt a potentially lethal blow Thursday to Democrats’ drive to hike the minimum wage, deciding that the cherished progressive goal must fall from a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill the party is trying to speed through Congress, Senate Democratic aides said. He said it shows the special procedure that Democrats are using to protect the …

Fight for $15: Wage hike likely blocked from Biden’s COVID relief
3 years, 9 months ago

Fight for $15: Wage hike likely blocked from Biden’s COVID relief

Al Jazeera  

In blow to progressives, Senate arbiter says fast-track process to pass signature legislation precludes the wage hike. A provision that would raise the United States minimum wage as part of President Joe Biden’s proposed $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief legislation has been dealt a likely lethal blow. Elizabeth MacDonough, the Senate parliamentarian and the nonpartisan arbiter of its rules, determined that …

GOP senator rejects $15 minimum wage saying he once earned $6 an hour, or $23 with inflation
3 years, 9 months ago

GOP senator rejects $15 minimum wage saying he once earned $6 an hour, or $23 with inflation

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Republican …

Costco To Raise Minimum Wage To $16 An Hour: 'This Isn't Altruism'
3 years, 9 months ago

Costco To Raise Minimum Wage To $16 An Hour: 'This Isn't Altruism'

NPR  

Costco To Raise Minimum Wage To $16 An Hour: 'This Isn't Altruism' Enlarge this image toggle caption Joe Raedle/Getty Images Joe Raedle/Getty Images Costco plans to edge up its starting wage to $16 an hour starting next week, CEO W. Craig Jelinek said on Thursday, revealing plans that would propel his company ahead of most of its retail competitors. Sponsor …

Senate Can't Vote On $15 Minimum Wage, Parliamentarian Rules
3 years, 9 months ago

Senate Can't Vote On $15 Minimum Wage, Parliamentarian Rules

NPR  

Senate Can't Vote On $15 Minimum Wage, Parliamentarian Rules Enlarge this image toggle caption J. Scott Applewhite/AP J. Scott Applewhite/AP Updated at 9:27 p.m. ET Senate Democrats will not be forced to confront an internal political battle over increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 following a decision by the primary keeper of Senate rules. The Senate parliamentarian ruled that …

AOC calls Republicans’ $10 minimum wage pitch ‘legislated poverty
3 years, 9 months ago

AOC calls Republicans’ $10 minimum wage pitch ‘legislated poverty

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has shot down a pitch from Republican lawmakers …

$15 minimum wage debate: Everything you need to know
3 years, 10 months ago

$15 minimum wage debate: Everything you need to know

CNN  

CNN — House Democrats have included a minimum wage hike in their latest Covid relief bill, although a ruling from the Senate parliamentarian means it can’t be included in the final package. Because so many states have their own, higher minimum wage, relatively few American workers make the federal minimum wage. More than half of states – 29 – have …

Biden, progressive Democrats heading toward clash over minimum wage and student loans
3 years, 10 months ago

Biden, progressive Democrats heading toward clash over minimum wage and student loans

LA Times  

The Biden administration and progressive Democrats are heading for their first big policy clash over whether to gradually increase the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour as part of the upcoming COVID-19 stimulus bill. But progressives view the minimum wage hike as an early indicator of Biden’s devotion to their causes, including whether he will one day support repealing …

Bernie Sanders urges Democrats to seize rare chance for $15 minimum wage
3 years, 10 months ago

Bernie Sanders urges Democrats to seize rare chance for $15 minimum wage

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Raising …

Biden wage plan would lift 900,000 from poverty. There’s a catch
3 years, 10 months ago

Biden wage plan would lift 900,000 from poverty. There’s a catch

Al Jazeera  

United States President Joe Biden’s plan to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour would reduce poverty but also cut 1.4 million jobs, says the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office. United States President Joe Biden’s proposal to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour by June 2025 would reduce employment by 1.4 million jobs that year and increase the …

Biden, Democrats hit gas on push for $15 minimum wage
3 years, 10 months ago

Biden, Democrats hit gas on push for $15 minimum wage

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Democratic push to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour has emerged as an early flashpoint in the fight for a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package, testing President Joe Biden’s ability to bridge Washington’s partisan divides as he pursues his first major legislative victory. Including the wage increase, Murkowski said, “complicates politically an initiative that …

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