Table 26. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing Federal 

minimum wage by selected characteristics, 2008 annual averages 

(Numbers in thousands)

Age and sex

Total, 16 years and over................................ 75,305 2,226 3.0 286 1,940

 16 to 24 years............................................ 15,680 1,122 7.2 161 961

 25 years and over...................................... 59,626 1,104 1.9 125 979

Women, 16 years and over............................. 37,972 1,498 3.9 196 1,302

 16 to 24 years............................................ 7,701 738 9.6 103 635

 25 years and over...................................... 30,270 759 2.5 93 666

Men, 16 years and over................................ 37,334 728 1.9 90 638

 16 to 24 years............................................ 7,978 384 4.8 58 326

 25 years and over...................................... 29,356 345 1.2 32 313

Race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

White........................................................ 60,464 1,783 2.9 215 1,568

 Women...................................................... 29,931 1,224 4.1 151 1,073

 Men......................................................... 30,533 560 1.8 65 495

Black or African American.............................. 9,866 308 3.1 49 259

 Women...................................................... 5,457 186 3.4 32 154

 Men......................................................... 4,408 122 2.8 17 105

Asian........................................................ 2,844 69 2.4 11 58

 Women...................................................... 1,543 42 2.7 8 34

 Men......................................................... 1,301 27 2.1 3 24

Hispanic or Latino ....................................... 13,070 324 2.5 39 285

 Women...................................................... 5,313 191 3.6 23 168

 Men......................................................... 7,756 132 1.7 15 117

Characteristic

Workers paid hourly rates

Total

Total at or below prevailing Federal minimum wage

Total

Percent of 

hourly paid 

workers

At prevailing 

Federal 

minimum 

wage

Below 

prevailing 

Federal 

minimum 

wage

79
Table 26. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing Federal 

minimum wage by selected characteristics, 2008 annual averages―Continued 

(Numbers in thousands)

Full- and part-time status 1

Full-time workers......................................... 56,837 873 1.5 95 778

 Women.................................................... 25,474 532 2.1 68 464

 Men........................................................ 31,363 340 1.1 27 313

Part-time workers......................................... 18,334 1,353 7.4 191 1,162

 Women...................................................... 12,431 965 7.8 128 837

 Men........................................................ 5,903 388 6.6 63 325

 

 

 

Characteristic

Workers paid hourly rates

Total

Total at or below prevailing Federal minimum wage

Total

Percent of 

hourly paid 

workers

At prevailing 

Federal 

minimum 

wage

Below 

prevailing 

Federal 

minimum 

wage

1 The distinction between full- and part-time workers is

based on hours usually worked. These data will not sum to

totals because full- or part-time status on the principal job is

not identifiable for a small number of multiple jobholders.

NOTE: The prevailing Federal minimum wage rose from

$5.85 to $6.55 an hour on July 24, 2008. Data in this table

reflect the average number of workers who earned $5.85 or

less from January 2008 through July 2008 and those who

earned $6.55 or less from August 2008 through the end of

the year. Data are for wage and salary workers, excluding

the incorporated self-employed. They refer to a person's

earnings on his or her sole or principal job, and pertain

only to workers who are paid hourly rates. Salaried

workers and other nonhourly workers are not included.

Estimates for the above race groups (white, black or

African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because

data are not presented for all races. Persons whose

ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any

race. 

SOURCE: Current Population Survey, U.S. Department

of Labor, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

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