Historical increases in the federal minimum wage, and proposed increase to $10.10 by 2016, current-year and real 2013 dollars
| Nominal minimum wage | Nominal increase | Percentage increase | Real minimum wage (2013$) | Real increase (2013$) | Percentage increase | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1938 | $0.25 | – | – | $3.61 | – | – |
| 1939 | $0.30 | $0.05 | 20.0% | $4.40 | $0.79 | 21.7% |
| 1945 | $0.40 | $0.10 | 33.3% | $4.53 | $1.06 | 30.4% |
| 1950 | $0.75 | $0.35 | 87.5% | $6.34 | $2.92 | 85.2% |
| 1956 | $1.00 | $0.25 | 33.3% | $7.49 | $1.79 | 31.4% |
| 1961 | $1.15 | $0.15 | 15.0% | $7.84 | $0.95 | 13.8% |
| 1963 | $1.25 | $0.10 | 8.7% | $8.33 | $0.56 | 7.3% |
| 1967 | $1.40 | $0.15 | 12.0% | $8.54 | $0.68 | 8.6% |
| 1968 | $1.60 | $0.20 | 14.3% | $9.40 | $0.86 | 10.0% |
| 1974 | $2.00 | $0.40 | 25.0% | $8.54 | $1.03 | 13.7% |
| 1975 | $2.10 | $0.10 | 5.0% | $8.28 | $(0.26) | -3.0% |
| 1976 | $2.30 | $0.20 | 9.5% | $8.58 | $0.30 | 3.6% |
| 1978 | $2.65 | $0.35 | 15.2% | $8.70 | $0.64 | 7.9% |
| 1979 | $2.90 | $0.25 | 9.4% | $8.68 | $(0.01) | -0.1% |
| 1980 | $3.10 | $0.20 | 6.9% | $8.36 | $(0.33) | -3.8% |
| 1981 | $3.35 | $0.25 | 8.1% | $8.24 | $(0.11) | -1.3% |
| 1990 | $3.80 | $0.45 | 13.4% | $6.57 | $0.49 | 8.0% |
| 1991 | $4.25 | $0.45 | 11.8% | $7.10 | $0.52 | 8.0% |
| 1996 | $4.75 | $0.50 | 11.8% | $7.03 | $0.57 | 8.9% |
| 1997 | $5.15 | $0.40 | 8.4% | $7.46 | $0.43 | 6.1% |
| 2007 | $5.85 | $0.70 | 13.6% | $6.58 | $0.62 | 10.5% |
| 2008 | $6.55 | $0.70 | 12.0% | $7.10 | $0.51 | 7.8% |
| 2009 | $7.25 | $0.70 | 10.7% | $7.89 | $0.79 | 11.1% |
| Sum 2007–2009: | 36.2% | 29.4% | ||||
| Average 2007–2009: | 12.1% | 9.8% | ||||
| Average of all increases: | 17.5% | 13.0% | ||||
| Average (excluding 1950): | 14.2% | 9.6% | ||||
Harkin-Miller proposal |
||||||
| 2014 | $8.20 | $0.95 | 13.1% | $8.05 | $0.80 | 11.0% |
| 2015 | $9.15 | $0.95 | 11.6% | $8.79 | $0.75 | 9.3% |
| 2016 | $10.10 | $0.95 | 10.4% | $9.51 | $0.71 | 8.1% |
| Sum: | 35.1% | 28.4% | ||||
| Average: | 11.7% | 9.5% | ||||
Note: The 1950 minimum-wage increase was particularly large. Nevertheless, the proposed increases are still smaller than the historical average even if the 1950 increase is excluded as an outlier. Real values are deflated using the CPI-U-RS. Inflation projections come from CBO (2013).
Source: Author's analysis of Fair Labor Standards Act and amendments and Harkin-Miller proposal