Real value of the federal minimum wage, 1968–2014 and 2014–2016* under scheduled Delaware increase to $8.25, compared with its value had it grown at various other rates since 1968 (2014 dollars)
| Actual minimum wage and projected DE increase | Inflation | Average wages for typical U.S. workers** | U.S. average worker net productivity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | $ 9.53 | $ 9.53 | $ 9.53 | $ 9.53 |
| 1969 | $ 9.12 | $ 9.53 | $ 9.72 | $ 9.57 |
| 1970 | $ 8.70 | $ 9.53 | $ 9.79 | $ 9.70 |
| 1971 | $ 8.33 | $ 9.53 | $ 10.02 | $ 10.06 |
| 1972 | $ 8.09 | $ 9.53 | $ 10.45 | $ 10.33 |
| 1973 | $ 7.61 | $ 9.53 | $ 10.43 | $ 10.58 |
| 1974 | $ 8.65 | $ 9.53 | $ 10.15 | $ 10.42 |
| 1975 | $ 8.39 | $ 9.53 | $ 10.01 | $ 10.64 |
| 1976 | $ 8.69 | $ 9.53 | $ 10.13 | $ 10.94 |
| 1977 | $ 8.17 | $ 9.53 | $ 10.24 | $ 11.07 |
| 1978 | $ 8.81 | $ 9.53 | $ 10.36 | $ 11.18 |
| 1979 | $ 8.80 | $ 9.53 | $ 10.20 | $ 11.19 |
| 1980 | $ 8.47 | $ 9.53 | $ 9.91 | $ 11.11 |
| 1981 | $ 8.36 | $ 9.53 | $ 9.83 | $ 11.35 |
| 1982 | $ 7.88 | $ 9.53 | $ 9.81 | $ 11.18 |
| 1983 | $ 7.56 | $ 9.53 | $ 9.80 | $ 11.52 |
| 1984 | $ 7.26 | $ 9.53 | $ 9.75 | $ 11.82 |
| 1985 | $ 7.02 | $ 9.53 | $ 9.70 | $ 12.02 |
| 1986 | $ 6.90 | $ 9.53 | $ 9.74 | $ 12.26 |
| 1987 | $ 6.67 | $ 9.53 | $ 9.64 | $ 12.32 |
| 1988 | $ 6.43 | $ 9.53 | $ 9.61 | $ 12.47 |
| 1989 | $ 6.17 | $ 9.53 | $ 9.56 | $ 12.57 |
| 1990 | $ 6.66 | $ 9.53 | $ 9.48 | $ 12.74 |
| 1991 | $ 7.20 | $ 9.53 | $ 9.43 | $ 12.85 |
| 1992 | $ 7.02 | $ 9.53 | $ 9.42 | $ 13.31 |
| 1993 | $ 6.85 | $ 9.53 | $ 9.43 | $ 13.36 |
| 1994 | $ 6.70 | $ 9.53 | $ 9.48 | $ 13.49 |
| 1995 | $ 6.55 | $ 9.53 | $ 9.51 | $ 13.49 |
| 1996 | $ 7.13 | $ 9.53 | $ 9.57 | $ 13.82 |
| 1997 | $ 7.56 | $ 9.53 | $ 9.74 | $ 14.01 |
| 1998 | $ 7.46 | $ 9.53 | $ 9.98 | $ 14.29 |
| 1999 | $ 7.31 | $ 9.53 | $ 10.14 | $ 14.64 |
| 2000 | $ 7.07 | $ 9.53 | $ 10.20 | $ 14.98 |
| 2001 | $ 6.88 | $ 9.53 | $ 10.29 | $ 15.22 |
| 2002 | $ 6.77 | $ 9.53 | $ 10.42 | $ 15.64 |
| 2003 | $ 6.62 | $ 9.53 | $ 10.47 | $ 16.15 |
| 2004 | $ 6.45 | $ 9.53 | $ 10.41 | $ 16.58 |
| 2005 | $ 6.24 | $ 9.53 | $ 10.34 | $ 16.87 |
| 2006 | $ 6.04 | $ 9.53 | $ 10.41 | $ 16.98 |
| 2007 | $ 6.67 | $ 9.53 | $ 10.52 | $ 17.10 |
| 2008 | $ 7.19 | $ 9.53 | $ 10.51 | $ 17.13 |
| 2009 | $ 7.99 | $ 9.53 | $ 10.87 | $ 17.48 |
| 2010 | $ 7.86 | $ 9.53 | $ 10.94 | $ 17.99 |
| 2011 | $ 7.62 | $ 9.53 | $ 10.83 | $ 18.02 |
| 2012 | $ 7.47 | $ 9.53 | $ 10.77 | $ 18.16 |
| 2013 | $ 7.36 | $ 9.53 | $ 10.82 | $ 18.33 |
| 2014 | $ 7.25 | $ 9.53 | $ 10.83 | $ 18.71 |
| 2015 | $ 7.62 | $ 9.53 | $10.84 | $18.94 |
| 2016 | $7.95* | $ 9.53 | $10.85* | $19.16* |
* The data labels on the productivity, average wages, and actual minimum wage lines represent the 2014 values and projected 2016 values.
** Average wages for production, non-supervisory workers, who comprise about 80% of all U.S. workers.
Note: Dollars deflated using CPI-U-RS and Congressional Budget Office inflation projections. Productivity calculated as change in net output per hour for total U.S. economy.
Source: EPI analysis of Total Economy Productivity Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Labor Productivity and Costs program, Bureau of Labor Statistics Current Employment Statistics, Current Population Survey Outgoing Rotation Group public-use microdata, and U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division (2013)
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