Who's Working for Minimum or Less in the U.S.?

The national minimum wage in the United States is $7.25 an hour. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 79.9 million workers age 16 and older earned an hourly wage, of which 2.2 million earned the national minimum wage or less.

It wasn't until July 2016 that the federal government set the wage for all states to $7.25. 29 states actually pay more than the required minimum. Massachusetts and Washington State have the highest wages of $11 per hour. As our infographic shows the minimum wage affects by far most people working in the food preparation and service industries (restaurants, bars and catering et al.)