A living wage is the minimum income necessary for a worker to meet his or her basic needs, while federal and state minimum wages are the minimum rates that all covered employers must pay all workers. They generally apply to most employers, with the state minimum wage applying to those who work in that state. When the federal and state minimum wage rates are different, the employee must be paid the higher of the two rates (Society for Human Resource Management, 2012). The federal minimum wage, first established in 1938 under the Fair Labor Standards Act, is currently $7.25/hour. This amount went into effect on July 24, 2009. Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia have wage rates higher than the federal minimum wage, as do a large number of cities. The resources included below detail laws on the living and minimum wages, as well as reports and guidance pieces on the impacts of both.
Minimum Wage Laws in the States
This websites provides data on the minimum wage in every state in the US.
State Minimum Wages
This table lists the states with minimum wages higher than the federal minimum wage. State wage amounts are also provided.
Handy Reference Guide to the Fair Labor Standards Act
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and child labor standards affecting full-time and part-time workers in the private sector and in Federal, State, and local governments. This reference guide includes a section on basic wage standards, beginning on page five (labeled in the guide as page one).
Citywide Minimum Wage Laws: a New Policy tool for Local Governments
Initial research and impact of these measures on local workers, businesses and communities is also reviewed. Differences with living wage and our wage legislation are covered.
