Appendix Figure A
Raising the federal minimum wage to $15 in 2025 would eliminate decades of growing wage inequality between the lowest-paid and the typical U.S. worker: Federal minimum wage as a share of the national full-time, full-year median wage, actual, and projected under the Raise the Wage Act of 2021
| Year | Historical share | Projected share, no annual real wage growth | Projected share, 0.5% annual real wage growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 53.5% | ||
| 1969 | 49.3% | ||
| 1970 | 46.4% | ||
| 1971 | 44.7% | ||
| 1972 | 42.4% | ||
| 1973 | 39.0% | ||
| 1974 | 44.9% | ||
| 1975 | 44.1% | ||
| 1976 | 45.0% | ||
| 1977 | 42.6% | ||
| 1978 | 45.9% | ||
| 1979 | 45.9% | ||
| 1980 | 44.7% | ||
| 1981 | 44.7% | ||
| 1982 | 42.0% | ||
| 1983 | 40.3% | ||
| 1984 | 38.3% | ||
| 1985 | 36.4% | ||
| 1986 | 35.5% | ||
| 1987 | 35.0% | ||
| 1988 | 33.5% | ||
| 1989 | 32.0% | ||
| 1990 | 35.2% | ||
| 1991 | 38.0% | ||
| 1992 | 36.7% | ||
| 1993 | 36.4% | ||
| 1994 | 35.5% | ||
| 1995 | 35.2% | ||
| 1996 | 38.0% | ||
| 1997 | 39.3% | ||
| 1998 | 37.7% | ||
| 1999 | 36.1% | ||
| 2000 | 35.4% | ||
| 2001 | 33.9% | ||
| 2002 | 33.1% | ||
| 2003 | 32.4% | ||
| 2004 | 31.6% | ||
| 2005 | 30.9% | ||
| 2006 | 30.5% | ||
| 2007 | 33.0% | ||
| 2008 | 35.3% | ||
| 2009 | 37.8% | ||
| 2010 | 37.7% | ||
| 2011 | 37.6% | ||
| 2012 | 37.5% | ||
| 2013 | 36.8% | ||
| 2014 | 36.5% | ||
| 2015 | 35.3% | ||
| 2016 | 34.0% | ||
| 2017 | 33.4% | ||
| 2018 | 32.2% | ||
| 2019 | 30.3% | 30.3% | 30.3% |
| 2020 | 29.9% | 29.8% | |
| 2021 | 38.7% | 38.4% | |
| 2022 | 44.3% | 43.7% | |
| 2023 | 49.4% | 48.5% | |
| 2024 | 54.2% | 52.9% | |
| 2025 | 56.8% | 55.2% |
Notes: Inflation measured using the CPI-U-RS and CBO CPI-U projections.
Source: EPI analysis of the Fair Labor Standards Act and amendments, the Raise the Wage Act of 2021, and Current Population Survey (CPS) Annual Social and Economic Supplement microdata.
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