When adjusted for inflation, the 2024 federal minimum wage in the United States is over 40 percent lower than the minimum wage in 1970. Although the real dollar minimum wage in 1970 was only 1.60 U.S. dollars, when expressed in nominal 2024 dollars this increases to 13.05 U.S. dollars. This is a significant difference from the federal minimum wage in 2024 of 7.25 U.S. dollars.

Graph and download economic data for Federal Minimum Hourly Wage for Nonfarm Workers for the United States (FEDMINNFRWG) from Oct 1938 to Aug 2025 about per hour, minimum wage, nonfarm, workers, hours, federal, wages, and USA.

In March 2025, inflation amounted to 2.4 percent, while wages grew by 4.3 percent. The inflation rate has not exceeded the rate of wage growth since January 2023. Inflation in 2022 The high rates of inflation in 2022 meant that the real terms value of American wages took a hit. Many Americans report feelings of concern over the economy and a worsening of their financial situation. The inflation situation in the United States is one that was experienced globally in 2022, mainly due to COVID-19 related supply chain constraints and disruption due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The monthly inflation rate for the U.S. reached a 40-year high in June 2022 at 9.1 percent, and annual inflation for 2022 reached eight percent. Without appropriate wage increases, Americans will continue to see a decline in their purchasing power. Wages in the U.S. Despite the level of wage growth reaching 6.7 percent in the summer of 2022, it has not been enough to curb the impact of even higher inflation rates. The federally mandated minimum wage in the United States has not increased since 2009, meaning that individuals working minimum wage jobs have taken a real terms pay cut for the last twelve years. There are discrepancies between states - the minimum wage in California can be as high as 15.50 U.S. dollars per hour, while a business in Oklahoma may be as low as two U.S. dollars per hour. However, even the higher wage rates in states like California and Washington may be lacking - one analysis found that if minimum wage had kept up with productivity, the minimum hourly wage in the U.S. should have been 22.88 dollars per hour in 2021. Additionally, the impact of decreased purchasing power due to inflation will impact different parts of society in different ways with stark contrast in average wages due to both gender and race.

Wages in the United States increased 5.35 percent in July of 2025 over the same month in the previous year. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - United States Wages and Salaries Growth - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

In 2023, the usual median hourly rate of a worker's wage in the United States was 19.24 U.S. dollars, a decrease from the previous year. Dollar value is based on 2023 U.S. dollars. In 1979, the median hourly earnings in the U.S. was 17.48 dollars.

Replication Data for: The minimum wage in formal and informal sectors: Evidence from an inflation shock

In April 2025, the UK minimum wage for adults over the age of 21 in will be 12.21 pounds per hour. For the 2025/26 financial year, there will be four minimum wage categories, three of which are based on age and one for apprentice workers. Apprentices, and workers under the age of 18 will have a minimum wage of 7.55 pounds an hour, increasing to ten pounds for those aged 18 to 20. When the minimum wage was first introduced in 1999, there were just two age categories; 18 to 21, and 22 and over. This increased to three categories in 2004, four in 2010, and five between 2016 and 2023, before being reduced down to four in the most recent year. The living wage The living wage is an alternative minimum wage amount that employers in the UK can voluntarily pay their employees. It is calculated independently of the legal minimum wage and results in a higher value figure. In 2023/24, for example, the living wage was twelve pounds an hour for the UK as a whole and 13.15 for workers in London, where the cost of living is typically higher. This living wage is different from what the UK government has named the national living wage, which was 10.42 in the same financial year. Between 2011/12 and 2023/24, the living wage has increased by 4.80 pounds, while the London living wage has grown by 4.85 pounds. Wage growth cancelled-out by high inflation 2021-2023 For a long period between the middle of 2021 and late 2023, average wage growth in the UK was unable to keep up with record inflation levels, resulting in the biggest fall in disposable income since 1956. Although the UK government attempted to mitigate the impact of falling living standards through a series of cost of living payments, the situation has still been very difficult for households. After peaking at 11.1 percent in October 2022, the UK's inflation rate remained in double figures until March 2023, and did not fall to the preferred rate of two percent until May 2024. As of November 2024, regular weekly pay in the UK was growing by 5.6 percent in nominal terms, and 2.5 percent when adjusted for inflation.

The federally mandated minimum wage in the United States is 7.25 U.S. dollars per hour, although the minimum wage varies from state to state. As of January 1, 2025, the District of Columbia had the highest minimum wage in the U.S., at 17.5 U.S. dollars per hour. This was followed by Washington, which had 16.66 U.S. dollars per hour as the state minimum wage. Minimum wage workers Minimum wage jobs are traditionally seen as “starter jobs” in the U.S., or first jobs for teenagers and young adults, and the number of people working minimum wage jobs has decreased from almost four million in 1979 to about 247,000 in 2020. However, the number of workers earning less than minimum wage in 2020 was significantly higher, at about 865,000. Minimum wage jobs Minimum wage jobs are primarily found in food preparation and serving occupations, as well as sales jobs (primarily in retail). Because the minimum wage has not kept up with inflation, nor has it been increased since 2009, it is becoming harder and harder live off of a minimum wage wage job, and for those workers to afford essential things like rent.

Average hourly and weekly wage rate, and median hourly and weekly wage rate by North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), type of work, gender, and age group.

■Purpose and Overview (Summary): The Operational Improvement Grants Special Course is designed to help small businesses in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises increase their productivity and raise the minimum wage in the workplace.

■ Purpose and Outline: The purpose of the Business Improvement Subsidy is to improve the environment for raising minimum wages by subsidizing part of the expenses required for capital investment, etc. in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises businesses that raise wages as well as make capital investment that contributes to improving productivity and labor efficiency, and by reducing the burden associated with raising wages.

Note: ・ electronic applications must be submitted on or after January 15, 2022.

Due to the convenience of ・ system, electronic applications will be accepted and notified by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. examination and payment are done at the Prefectural Labor Bureau.

Please prepare and submit ・ Grant Application Form, etc. by extracting the necessary forms from the "Grant Outline Form."

In addition to ・ Issuance Guidelines, there are also Issuance Guidelines, etc. Please be sure to check the reference URL.

・ At present, some procedures such as status report of Form No. 8 and disposition of property cannot be submitted electronically, so please submit them by paper to the Prefectural Labour Bureau.

■ Contact: Business Improvement Grants Inquiries:

Business Improvement Grants Call Center 0120-366-440 (weekday 8: 30~17:15)

• "Contact This grant" by jGrants is not supported

■ Reference URL: https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/koyou_roudou/roudoukijun/zigyonushi/shienjigyou/03_00026.html

The minimum wage per day guaranteed by law in Mexico was decreed to increase by approximately 12 percent between 2024 and 2025, reaching 278.8 Mexican pesos in 2025. The Northern Free Zone located near the northern border was the exception, where the minimum daily wage increased to 419.88 Mexican pesos. Education and income disparity The income distribution is entirely a new story than minimum wages, in fact, there are many factors that influence the level of salaries for Mexican workers. One of the main differences is by the number of schooling years, someone with more than 18 years of study earns on average double than employees with seven to nine years. Moreover, the area of study, while statistics and finance mean salaries, the highest wages by degree, are above 30,000 Mexican pesos per month, others such as performing arts and theology rank as the lowest paying degrees in Mexico.
Poverty still among the main problems
Despite one of the main reasons for minimum wage increases being moving people out from poverty conditions, poverty continues to be one of the main problems Mexican society faces. The number of people living under poverty conditions has decreased by 8.54 million inhabitants from 2014 to 2022, nonetheless, the figure is still higher than 46.5 million. The poverty rate varies among states, with Chiapas leading the ranking with 67.4 percent of the population under such conditions, while both Baja California and Baja California Sur recorded less than 14 percent.

Minimum Wages in Greece increased to 1027 EUR/Month in the fourth quarter of 2025 from 968 EUR/Month in the second quarter of 2025. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - Greece Minimum Monthly Wage - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

Wages in the United States increased to 31.34 USD/Hour in July from 31.26 USD/Hour in June of 2025. This dataset provides - United States Average Hourly Wages - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

In 2023, the median hourly earnings of wage and salary workers in the United States was 19.24 U.S. dollars. This is an increase from 1979, when median hourly earnings were at 4.44 U.S. dollars. Hourly Workers The United States national minimum wage is 7.25 U.S. dollars per hour, which has been the minimum wage since 2009. However, each state has the agency to set their state minimum wage. Furthermore, some cities are able to create their minimum wage. Many argue that the minimum wage is too low and should be raised, because it is not considered a living wage. There has been a movement to raise the minimum wage to 15 U.S. dollars per hour, called “Fight for 15” which began in the early 2010s. While there has been no movement at the federal level, some states have moved to increase their minimum wages, with at least three states and the District of Columbia setting minimum wage rates at or above 15 dollars per hour. More recently, some proponents of increasing the minimum wage say that 15 dollars is too low, and lawmakers should strive toward a higher goal, especially given that a 2021 analysis found that the minimum wage in the U.S. should be 22.88 U.S. dollars if it grew at the same rate as economic productivity. Salary Workers On the other hand, salary workers in the United States do not get paid on an hourly basis. The median weekly earnings of salary workers have significantly increased since 1979. Asian salary workers had the highest hourly earnings in the U.S. in 2021. Among female salary workers, those ages 45 to 54 years old had the highest median hourly earnings in 2021, likewise for male salary workers.

In the three months to May 2025, average weekly earnings in the United Kingdom grew by five percent, while pay including bonuses also grew by five percent, when compared with the same period leading to April 2024. In the same month, the inflation rate for the Consumer Price Index was 3.4 percent, indicating that wages were rising faster than prices that month. Average salaries in the UK In 2024, the average salary for full-time workers in the UK was 37,430 British pounds a year, up from 34,963 in the previous year. In London, the average annual salary was far higher than the rest of the country, at 47,455 pounds per year, compared with just 32,960 in North East England. There also still exists a noticeable gender pay gap in the UK, which was seven percent for full-time workers in 2024, down from 7.5 percent in 2023. Lastly, the monthly earnings of the top one percent in the UK was 15,887 pounds as of November 2024, far higher than even that of the average for the top five percent, who earned 7,641 pounds per month, while pay for the lowest 10 percent of earners was just 805 pounds per month. Waves of industrial action in the UK One of the main consequences of high inflation and low wage growth throughout 2022 and 2023 was an increase in industrial action in the UK. In December 2022, for example, there were approximately 830,000 working days lost due to labor disputes. Throughout this month, workers across various industry sectors were involved in industrial disputes, such as nurses, train drivers, and driving instructors. Many of the workers who took part in strikes were part of the UK's public sector, which saw far weaker wage growth than that of the private sector throughout 2022. Widespread industrial action continued into 2023, with approximately 303,000 workers involved in industrial disputes in March 2023. There was far less industrial action by 2024, however, due to settlements in many of the disputes, although some are ongoing as of 2025.

grant aims to improve added value and productivity in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and other countries, and connect to Wage Increases by selecting and introducing effective general-purpose products from the product catalog that improve added value and productivity, such as IoT and robots. Please refer to the Offering Guidelines for details.

■ Maximum Subsidy Amount The maximum subsidy amount for the Project is as follows: However, if Wage Increases target set by subsidized entity is achieved, the maximum amount of subsidy will be increased to the amount in parentheses. If the total subsidized expense multiplied by the subsidy rate exceeds the subsidy cap, grant will be awarded within the subsidy cap. In addition, the maximum amount of subsidy is determined by the number of employees at the time of application. 5 and below 2 million JPY (3 million JPY) 6-20 5 million JPY (7.5 million JPY) More than 21 people 10 million JPY (15 million JPY)

■ Basic Requirements This project will be subsidized if it introduces labor-saving products in catalogues and works jointly with distributors based on a project plan that meets the following objectives and the requirements of the Public Offering Guidelines 4 - 1. Please also note that even if you receive a grant decision, you may not receive the full amount. Increase ・ Labor Productivity Goal You will be required to develop and act on a business plan that will increase labor productivity by at least 3.0% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for each 3 year after the completion of the subsidy compared to the time the plan was submitted.

・ Wage Increases Objectives Companies that have developed a business plan that is expected to meet the following 2 points at the end of the subsidy period will increase the maximum subsidy amount to the amount in parentheses in the table. (1) Increase the workplace minimum wage by more than JPY 45 (2) Increase gross salary earnings by more than 6%

■ Subsidized Expenses Subsidized expenses include the "product price" and "installation cost" for labor-saving product capital expenditures.

■Purpose and Overview (Summary): The Business Improvement Grants are designed to help small businesses in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises increase their productivity and raise the minimum wage in the workplace.

■ Purpose and Overview: The Business Improvement Grants cover part of the cost of capital investment (Introduction of machinery equipment and POS systems) to improve the productivity of small businesses in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and raise the workplace minimum wage by a certain amount or more.

Note: ・ electronic applications must be submitted on or after April 4, 2022.

Due to the convenience of ・ system, electronic applications will be accepted and notified by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. examination and payment are done at the Prefectural Labor Bureau.

Please prepare and submit ・ Grant Application Form, etc. using the "Grant Outline Form" posted on the the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare website (see URL).

In addition to ・ Issuance Guidelines, there are also Issuance Guidelines, etc. Please be sure to check the reference URL.

・ At present, some procedures such as status report of Form No. 8 and disposition of property cannot be submitted electronically, so please submit them by paper to the Prefectural Labour Bureau.

■ Contact: Business Improvement Grants Inquiries:

Business Improvement Grants Call Center 0120-366-440 (weekday 8: 30~17:15)

• "Contact This grant" by jGrants is not supported

■ Reference URL: https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/koyou_roudou/roudoukijun/zigyonushi/shienjigyou/03.html

■Purpose and Overview The Business Improvement Grant is a program to support small businesses in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises to improve their productivity, raise the minimum wage in a workplace (workplace minimum wage) by 30 JPY or more, and partially cover the cost of capital investment that contributes to productivity improvement.

■ Precautions ○ Please carefully read the guidelines and guidelines in the "Guidelines" section before applying. (The latest version of the guidelines and guidelines can be found on the the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare website.)

○ There are many omissions and errors in documents when applying for grants. I would appreciate it if you could check it again before you click the Apply button.

○ In addition, if you find any corrections or omissions in the documents after applying for the grant, please contact the Employment Environment and Equal Employment Department (Office) of the Prefectural Labor Bureau that submitted the application.

○ Please complete the application form and upload the completed application form and attached documents to the "Application Documents" section of the application form.

○ Application examination and subsidy payments are made at the prefectural labor office that has jurisdiction over the business location. Please note that there may be inquiries from prefectural labor bureaus regarding application documents.

○ Currently, some procedures, such as the disposal of property, cannot be submitted electronically. These procedures should be carried out directly with the Prefectural Labor Bureau.

○ The the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare website provides guidelines, application manuals, case studies of business improvement grants, and Q& A: Useful tools for preparing application forms are posted. Please refer to the following URL before applying.

■ Reference URL https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/koyou_roudou/roudoukijun/zigyonushi/shienjigyou/03.html

■ Grant Guidelines and Forms https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/koyou_roudou/roudoukijun/zigyonushi/shienjigyou/03.html#h2_free9

■jGrants Application Manual https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/koyou_roudou/roudoukijun/zigyonushi/shienjigyou/03.html#jGrants%E3%83%9E%E3%83%8B%E3%83%A5%E3%82%A2%E3%83%AB

■ Contact Information Business Improvement Grants Call Center 0120-366-440 (weekdays 8: 30~17:15)

• Business Improvement Grants do not support the "Contact This grant" feature of jGrants.

Wages in China increased to 120698 CNY/Year in 2023 from 114029 CNY/Year in 2022. This dataset provides - China Average Yearly Wages - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

The inflation rate in the United States is expected to decrease to 2.1 percent by 2029. 2022 saw a year of exceptionally high inflation, reaching eight percent for the year. The data represents U.S. city averages. The base period was 1982-84. In economics, the inflation rate is a measurement of inflation, the rate of increase of a price index (in this case: consumer price index). It is the percentage rate of change in prices level over time. The rate of decrease in the purchasing power of money is approximately equal. According to the forecast, prices will increase by 2.9 percent in 2024. The annual inflation rate for previous years can be found here and the consumer price index for all urban consumers here. The monthly inflation rate for the United States can also be accessed here. Inflation in the U.S.Inflation is a term used to describe a general rise in the price of goods and services in an economy over a given period of time. Inflation in the United States is calculated using the consumer price index (CPI). The consumer price index is a measure of change in the price level of a preselected market basket of consumer goods and services purchased by households. This forecast of U.S. inflation was prepared by the International Monetary Fund. They project that inflation will stay higher than average throughout 2023, followed by a decrease to around roughly two percent annual rise in the general level of prices until 2028. Considering the annual inflation rate in the United States in 2021, a two percent inflation rate is a very moderate projection. The 2022 spike in inflation in the United States and worldwide is due to a variety of factors that have put constraints on various aspects of the economy. These factors include COVID-19 pandemic spending and supply-chain constraints, disruptions due to the war in Ukraine, and pandemic related changes in the labor force. Although the moderate inflation of prices between two and three percent is considered normal in a modern economy, countries’ central banks try to prevent severe inflation and deflation to keep the growth of prices to a minimum. Severe inflation is considered dangerous to a country’s economy because it can rapidly diminish the population’s purchasing power and thus damage the GDP .