Minimum means, little or less
Do you have a minimum wage where you are? I just read (and copied) an interesting article about the minimum wage in the US. Below are some excerpts from the article:
Scraping By: Minimum Wage Across America
The minimum wage has been stuck at $5.15 an hour for over nine years, making it the second-longest freeze in wage growth since the establishment of the U.S. minimum wage in 1938. The cost of living has risen 26 percent, but the minimum rate of compensation hasn't seen a value this low since 1955, and Senate recently rejected a proposal that would have raised the rate to $7.25 by 2008.
The 2005 Current Population Survey, compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, reported West Virginia and Oklahoma as having the highest number of workers earning hourly wages at or below $5.15. In contrast, the states of California, Alaska and Washington reported the lowest population of residents earning minimum wage or less.
According to combined data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, individual state labeor departments and the EPI, here are the most current findings for minimum wages rates as of August 2006:
Alabama: No state minimum wage law.
Alaska: $7.15. Rate automatically adjusts to remain at least $1.00 above the federal minimum wage in the event of a federal change.
Arizona: No state minimum wage law.
Arkansas: $5.15. Increasing to $6.25 as of Oct. 1, 2006.
California: $6.75. Increasing to $7.50 as of Jan. 1, 2007, and $8.00 as of Jan. 1, 2008. Beyond that, the minimum wage will be evaluated yearly. The rate is $8.82 in San Francisco. Companies that do business with the City of Los Angeles must pay workers at least $9.08 per hour with health benefits, or $10.33 without.
Colorado: $5.15.
Connecticut: $7.40. Increasing to $7.65 as of Jan. 1, 2007.
Delaware: $6.15. Increasing to $6.65 in 2007, and $7.15 in 2008.
District of Columbia: $7.00.
Florida: $6.40 (adjusting annually with inflation).
Georgia: $5.15.
Hawaii: $6.75. Increasing to $7.25 as of Jan. 1, 2007.
Idaho: $5.15.
Illinois: $6.50. $6.00 for employees under the age of 18.
Indiana: $5.15.
Iowa: $5.15.
Kansas: $2.65. Applies only when the federal Fair Labor Standards Act does not.
Kentucky: $5.15.
Louisiana: No state minimum wage law.
Maine: $6.50. Increasing to $6.75 as of Oct. 2006, and $7.00 as of Oct., 2007.
Maryland: $6.15.
Massachusetts: $6.75. Increasing to $7.50 as of Jan. 1, 2007, and $8.00 as of Jan. 1, 2008.
Michigan: $5.15. Increasing to $6.95 as of Oct. 1, 2006, $7.15 as of July 1, 2007 and to $7.40 as of July 1, 2008.
Minnesota: $6.15.
Mississippi: No state minimum wage law.
Missouri: $5.15.
Montana: $5.15.
Nebraska: $5.15.
Nevada: $5.15. A 2004 amendment, proposing an increase minimum wage to $6.15 starting in 2007, and adjusted yearly, requires re-approval in 2006 to become law.
New Hampshire: $5.15.
New Jersey: $6.15. Increases to $7.15 as of Oct. 2006.
New Mexico: $5.15. $9.50 in Santa Fe, as of 2006.
New York: $6.75. Increasing to $7.15 as of Jan. 1, 2007.
North Carolina: $5.15. Increasing to $6.15 as of Jan. 1, 2007.
North Dakota: $5.15.
Ohio: $5.15.
Oklahoma: $5.15, and $2.00 for work not covered by the federal minimum wage.
Oregon: $7.50 (adjusting annually with inflation).
Pennsylvania: $5.15. Increasing to $6.25 as of Jan. 1, 2007, and to $7.15 as of July 1, 2007. For companies with 10 or fewer employees: $5.65 as of Jan. 1, 2007; $6.65 as of July 1, 2007; and $7.15 as of July 1, 2008.
Rhode Island: $7.10. Increasing to $7.40 as of 2007.
South Carolina: $5.15.
South Dakota: $5.15.
Tennessee: No state minimum wage law.
Texas: $5.15.
Utah: $5.15.
Vermont: $7.25 (adjusted annually with inflation).
Virginia: $5.15.
Washington: $7.63 (adjusted annually with inflation).
West Virginia: $5.15.
Wisconsin: $6.50.
Wyoming: $5.15.
Candace Corner is a writer for CareerBuilder.com.
Copyright 2006 CareerBuilder.com.
A rough calculation of yearly income is to double the hourly wage, therefore a minimum wage of $5.15 is only around $10,300 or so per year, certainly not enough for even a single person to live comfortably. Which is exactly why those with a minimum wage job need to work several of them just to get by. Well, at least I moved to a state with a higher minimum wage! Have a good Tuesday.
Scraping By: Minimum Wage Across America
The minimum wage has been stuck at $5.15 an hour for over nine years, making it the second-longest freeze in wage growth since the establishment of the U.S. minimum wage in 1938. The cost of living has risen 26 percent, but the minimum rate of compensation hasn't seen a value this low since 1955, and Senate recently rejected a proposal that would have raised the rate to $7.25 by 2008.
The 2005 Current Population Survey, compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, reported West Virginia and Oklahoma as having the highest number of workers earning hourly wages at or below $5.15. In contrast, the states of California, Alaska and Washington reported the lowest population of residents earning minimum wage or less.
According to combined data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, individual state labeor departments and the EPI, here are the most current findings for minimum wages rates as of August 2006:
Alabama: No state minimum wage law.
Alaska: $7.15. Rate automatically adjusts to remain at least $1.00 above the federal minimum wage in the event of a federal change.
Arizona: No state minimum wage law.
Arkansas: $5.15. Increasing to $6.25 as of Oct. 1, 2006.
California: $6.75. Increasing to $7.50 as of Jan. 1, 2007, and $8.00 as of Jan. 1, 2008. Beyond that, the minimum wage will be evaluated yearly. The rate is $8.82 in San Francisco. Companies that do business with the City of Los Angeles must pay workers at least $9.08 per hour with health benefits, or $10.33 without.
Colorado: $5.15.
Connecticut: $7.40. Increasing to $7.65 as of Jan. 1, 2007.
Delaware: $6.15. Increasing to $6.65 in 2007, and $7.15 in 2008.
District of Columbia: $7.00.
Florida: $6.40 (adjusting annually with inflation).
Georgia: $5.15.
Hawaii: $6.75. Increasing to $7.25 as of Jan. 1, 2007.
Idaho: $5.15.
Illinois: $6.50. $6.00 for employees under the age of 18.
Indiana: $5.15.
Iowa: $5.15.
Kansas: $2.65. Applies only when the federal Fair Labor Standards Act does not.
Kentucky: $5.15.
Louisiana: No state minimum wage law.
Maine: $6.50. Increasing to $6.75 as of Oct. 2006, and $7.00 as of Oct., 2007.
Maryland: $6.15.
Massachusetts: $6.75. Increasing to $7.50 as of Jan. 1, 2007, and $8.00 as of Jan. 1, 2008.
Michigan: $5.15. Increasing to $6.95 as of Oct. 1, 2006, $7.15 as of July 1, 2007 and to $7.40 as of July 1, 2008.
Minnesota: $6.15.
Mississippi: No state minimum wage law.
Missouri: $5.15.
Montana: $5.15.
Nebraska: $5.15.
Nevada: $5.15. A 2004 amendment, proposing an increase minimum wage to $6.15 starting in 2007, and adjusted yearly, requires re-approval in 2006 to become law.
New Hampshire: $5.15.
New Jersey: $6.15. Increases to $7.15 as of Oct. 2006.
New Mexico: $5.15. $9.50 in Santa Fe, as of 2006.
New York: $6.75. Increasing to $7.15 as of Jan. 1, 2007.
North Carolina: $5.15. Increasing to $6.15 as of Jan. 1, 2007.
North Dakota: $5.15.
Ohio: $5.15.
Oklahoma: $5.15, and $2.00 for work not covered by the federal minimum wage.
Oregon: $7.50 (adjusting annually with inflation).
Pennsylvania: $5.15. Increasing to $6.25 as of Jan. 1, 2007, and to $7.15 as of July 1, 2007. For companies with 10 or fewer employees: $5.65 as of Jan. 1, 2007; $6.65 as of July 1, 2007; and $7.15 as of July 1, 2008.
Rhode Island: $7.10. Increasing to $7.40 as of 2007.
South Carolina: $5.15.
South Dakota: $5.15.
Tennessee: No state minimum wage law.
Texas: $5.15.
Utah: $5.15.
Vermont: $7.25 (adjusted annually with inflation).
Virginia: $5.15.
Washington: $7.63 (adjusted annually with inflation).
West Virginia: $5.15.
Wisconsin: $6.50.
Wyoming: $5.15.
Candace Corner is a writer for CareerBuilder.com.
Copyright 2006 CareerBuilder.com.
A rough calculation of yearly income is to double the hourly wage, therefore a minimum wage of $5.15 is only around $10,300 or so per year, certainly not enough for even a single person to live comfortably. Which is exactly why those with a minimum wage job need to work several of them just to get by. Well, at least I moved to a state with a higher minimum wage! Have a good Tuesday.
7 Comments:
And the thing that REALLY ticks me off is that, while congress votes AGAINST raising the minimum wage for us regular folks, they have NO PROBLEM WHATSOEVER voting on giving themselves raises quite often.
What a bunch of B.S.!!!
I'm above the minimum my self but in these parts it is at $7.75 and is set to increase in February to $8.00.
I'm glad New york's one of the few above the Federal wage.
And this is why alot of people go into politics...the money is good and they don't have to spend 8 hours a day doing it. I found out the average now is about 2 short days a week. And that is WHY our country is so screwy!
What makes me angry is that servers and other restaurant staff are exempt from the minimum wage, because they have potential to earn tips! AAAAAAARRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
It's a shame when people can't earn a decent living, it's bad enough all the good jobs are being outsourced.
Florida only started adjusting it's minimum wage in the last year or so. Perhaps in a year or two the minimum wage will be enough for people to actually survive with one job.
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