The history of the minimum wage continues to barely fluctuate, which is a travesty for people entering the workforce or trying to make ends meet on minimum wage jobs.
On October 24, 1938, the minimum hourly wage of workers was $0.25. About 18 years later (March 1, 1956) the minimum wage went up to $1.00. Another 18 years went by (May 1, 1974), and it only increased by 1 dollar totaling up to $2.00. thirty-five years later, on July 24, 2009, the minimum wage increased to $7.25.
During George W. Bush’s presidency, he signed into law the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 to increase the national minimum wage, although the bill established steps to make this change; the act had three incremental increases, first to $5.85 per hour 60 days after enactment (July 24, 2007), then $6.55 per hour a year later (July 24,2008) and finally to $7.25 per hour two years after the enactment.
The crazy part of all is once you compare the drastic difference between the minimum wage in the US and Europe, the US minimum wage barely covers groceries. The minimum wage in Europe is €551, $640.04 USD. That covers a full week of transportation in most European cities, while in a less expensive European city, that amount of money could possibly pay about 4-5 days of accommodation and food. Citizens can afford to buy a smartphone with the minimum wage provided in Europe. Here in the US, you cannot afford groceries, and with inflation picking up faster than ever, more minimum wage employees find themselves forced into poverty.
It’s way past time to increase the minimum wage.
