What is the minimum wage?
The minimum wage is the starting hourly wage an employer can pay an employee for work. Currently, the federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour (part of the Fair Labor Standards Act). Some states and cities have raised their minimum wage higher than that. In most instances, the higher of the prevailing minimum wage requirements is binding for employers.
April 16, 2025
D.C.’s Initiative 82 is a Horror Story – Not a “Success”
April 11, 2025
Sanders’ $17 Wage Proposal Could Cost Over a Million Jobs
This week, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and his colleagues introduced legislation aimed at raising the federal minimum wage to $17 an hour and eliminating the tip credit for restaurant…
April 3, 2025
The Not-So-Happy Birthday of California’s “Crappiest” Law
April 1 marked one year since California’s $20 minimum wage went into effect. To lament the consequences the law has brought for Californians, the Employment Policies Institute ran a full-page…
March 28, 2025
Illinois Beware: Chicago’s Tip Credit Elimination Law Has Already Cost 5,000 Jobs
Illinois lawmakers are trying again to push tip credit elimination for the entire state. Following the City of Chicago’s experiment with tip credit elimination that has already caused job losses…
March 21, 2025
2 in 5 D.C. Restaurants May Close in 2025, Survey Says
A new survey from the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) of local D.C. restaurants shows businesses are preparing for a bumpy year as the road to tip credit elimination…