The number of American workers who make the federal minimum wage or less has decreased significantly since 1979. In 2021, only around a million employees make the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, which has been the same rate for over a decade. This has caused much debate among economists and politicians on whether or not raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour would be beneficial or lead to job loss. Despite the efforts of worker advocates, Congress has yet to pass a bill that would increase the federal minimum wage. In 2021, the proposal to raise the wage to $15 an hour was removed from the $1.9 trillion pandemic relief bill.
Wages have increased significantly in the US, with at least 43% of the workforce living in states with a minimum wage of $15 or more. Major employers like Amazon and Target have also raised their minimum wages to $15 an hour in order to attract and retain workers. Research has shown that minimum wage increases have not led to job losses, but have instead raised the earnings of the lowest paid workers.