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.
October 31, 2025
CA Statewide Data Disprove Claims of “Widespread” Fast-Food Violations
This isn’t the first time unions have tried to smear California’s fast food industry in an effort to push their broader organizing agenda. Each time, the claims make headlines, but…
October 24, 2025
Virginia Should Learn from Neighbors’ Mistakes
With Virginia’s governor’s race heating up, the $15 minimum wage is getting some extra attention. But lawmakers interested in trying out this policy should look at the consequences of high-wage…
New York
October 17, 2025
New York’s Full-Service Restaurant Industry is Shrinking While the Nation Expands
Over the past decade, New York has been a testing ground for some of the country’s most aggressive wage policies. Governors and lawmakers have repeatedly floated sky-high minimum wage hike…
Colorado
October 10, 2025
As CO Soars Past A $15 Minimum Wage, Small Businesses See Outsized Share of Impacts
Colorado’s minimum wage is on a fast climb. Since voters approved the creation of a statewide minimum wage in 2007, the rate has risen each year, pushing Colorado toward some…