Abstract
[This is an excerpt.] In 2020, 73.3 million workers age 16 and older in the United States were paid at hourly rates, representing 55.5 percent of all wage and salary workers. Among those paid by the hour, 247,000 workers earned exactly the prevailing federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. About 865,000 workers had wages below the federal minimum. Together, these 1.1 million workers with wages at or below the federal minimum made up 1.5 percent of all hourly paid workers.
Data on minimum wage workers for 2020 reflect the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on the labor market. Comparisons with data on minimum wage workers for earlier years should be interpreted with caution. Large declines in employment in 2020, particularly among low-wage workers, resulted in changes in the hourly earnings distribution. More information on labor market developments in 2020 is available at www.bls.gov/covid19/effects-of-covid-19-pandemic-and-response-on-the-employment-situation-news-release.htm. [To read more, click View Resource.]
This resource is found in our Actionable Strategies for Health Organizations: Meaningful Rewards & Recognition (Adequate Compensation)
