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April 2016 
                    Report 1061

				 
			


		
		
























											



				 
                
                BLS Reports Menu
                    CONTENTS
                        Highlights
 
                          Statistical Tables 
						  Table 1. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or...Table 2. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or...Table 3. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or...Table 4. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or...Table 5. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or...Table 6. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or...Table 7. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or...Table 8. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or...Table 9. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or...Table 10. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or...
                          Technical Notes
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     Characteristics of minimum wage workers, 2015
Characteristics of minimum wage workers, 2015 imageIn 2015, 78.2 million workers age 16 and older in the United States were paid at hourly rates, representing 58.5 percent of all wage and salary workers. Among those paid by the hour, 870,000 workers earned exactly the prevailing federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. About 1.7 million had wages below the federal minimum. Together, these 2.6 million workers with wages at or below the federal minimum made up 3.3 percent of all hourly paid workers.The percentage of hourly paid workers earning the prevailing federal minimum wage or less declined from 3.9 percent in 2014 to 3.3 percent in 2015. This remains well below the percentage of 13.4 recorded in 1979, when data for hourly-paid were first collected on a regular basis. (See table 10.)This report presents highlights and statistical tables describing workers who earned at or below the federal minimum wage in 2015. The data are obtained from the Current Population Survey (CPS), a national monthly survey of approximately 60,000 households conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau for the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Information on earnings is collected from one-fourth of the CPS sample each month.The CPS does not include questions on whether workers are covered by the minimum wage provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) or by individual state or local minimum wage laws. The estimates of workers paid at or below the federal minimum wage are based solely on the hourly wage they report, which does not include overtime pay, tips, or commissions. See the accompanying technical notes section for more information, including a description of the source of the data and an explanation of the concepts and definitions used in this report.HighlightsThe following are highlights from the 2015 data:***Age*.** Minimum wage workers tend to be young. Although workers under age 25 represented only about one-fifth of hourly paid workers, they made up about half of those paid the federal minimum wage or less. Among employed teenagers (ages 16 to 19) paid by the hour, about 11 percent earned the minimum wage or less, compared with about 2 percent of workers age 25 and older. (See tables 1 and 7.)***Gender*.** Among workers who were paid hourly rates in 2015, about 4 percent of women and about 3 percent of men had wages at or below the prevailing federal minimum. (See table 1.)***Race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity*.**The major race and ethnicity groups had similar percentages of hourly workers paid wages at or below the federal minimum. About 3 percent of White, Asian, and Hispanic or Latino workers earned the federal minimum wage or less. Among Black workers, the percentage was about 4 percent. (See table 1.)***Education*.** Among hourly paid workers age 16 and older, about 6 percent of those without a high school diploma earned the federal minimum wage or less, compared with about 3 percent of those who had a high school diploma (with no college), 3 percent of those with some college or an associate degree, and about 2 percent of college graduates. (See table 6.)***Marital status*.** Of those paid an hourly wage, never-married workers, who tend to be young, were more likely (5 percent) than married workers (2 percent) to earn the federal minimum wage or less. (See table 8.)***Full- and part-time status*.** About 7 percent of part-time workers (those who usually work fewer than 35 hours per week) were paid at or below the federal minimum wage, compared with about 2 percent of full-time workers. (See tables 1 and 9.)***Occupation*.** Among major occupational groups, the highest percentage of hourly paid workers earning at or below the federal minimum wage was in service occupations, at about 9 percent. Almost two-thirds of workers earning the minimum wage or less in 2015 were employed in service occupations, mostly in food preparation and serving related jobs. (See table 4.)***Industry*.**The industry with the highest percentage of workers earning hourly wages at or below the federal minimum wage was leisure and hospitality (15 percent). Nearly three-fifths of all workers paid at or below the federal minimum wage were employed in this industry, the vast majority in restaurants and other food services. For many of these workers, tips may supplement the hourly wages received. (See table 5.)***State of residence*.**The states with the highest percentages of hourly paid workers earning at or below the federal minimum wage were in the South: Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Virginia (all were about 6 percent). The states with the lowest percentages of hourly paid workers earning at or below the federal minimum wage were in the West: Alaska, California, Oregon, and Washington (all were about 1 percent). It should be noted that some states have laws establishing higher minimum wage rates than the federal minimum wage. (See tables 2 and 3.)		
	
	 
	 Statistical Tables
        
                                                                                


Table 1. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing federal minimum wage, by selected characteristics, 2015 annual averages

Characteristic
Number of workers (in thousands)
Percent distribution
Percentage of workers paid hourly ratesTotal paid hourly rates
At or below the minimum wage
Total paid hourly rates
At or below minimum wage
At or below the minimum ageTotal
At minimum wage
Below minimum wage
Total
At minimum wage
Below minimum wage
Total
At minimum wage
Below minimum wageAge and genderTotal, 16 years and older
78,232
2,561
870
1,691
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
3.3
1.1
2.216 to 24 years
15,562
1,153
475
678
19.9
45.0
54.6
40.1
7.4
3.1
4.416 to 19 years
4,355
487
258
229
5.6
19.0
29.6
13.6
11.2
5.9
5.325 years and older
62,670
1,408
395
1,013
80.1
55.0
45.4
59.9
2.2
0.6
1.6Men, 16 years and older
38,732
959
330
629
49.5
37.4
37.9
37.2
2.5
0.9
1.616 to 24 years
7,778
417
193
224
9.9
16.3
22.1
13.3
5.4
2.5
2.916 to 19 years
2,124
194
107
87
2.7
7.6
12.3
5.1
9.1
5.1
4.125 years and older
30,954
542
137
404
39.6
21.2
15.8
23.9
1.8
0.4
1.3Women, 16 years and older
39,500
1,602
540
1,062
50.5
62.6
62.1
62.8
4.1
1.4
2.716 to 24 years
7,784
736
282
454
10.0
28.7
32.5
26.8
9.5
3.6
5.816 to 19 years
2,231
293
150
143
2.9
11.4
17.3
8.4
13.1
6.7
6.425 years and older
31,716
866
258
608
40.5
33.8
29.6
36.0
2.7
0.8
1.9Race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicityWhite(1)
60,306
1,872
561
1,311
77.1
73.1
64.4
77.5
3.1
0.9
2.2Men
30,448
667
218
450
38.9
26.1
25.0
26.6
2.2
0.7
1.5Women
29,858
1,205
343
862
38.2
47.0
39.4
51.0
4.0
1.1
2.9Black or African American(1)
11,178
481
247
234
14.3
18.8
28.4
13.9
4.3
2.2
2.1Men
5,015
212
85
127
6.4
8.3
9.8
7.5
4.2
1.7
2.5Women
6,163
270
162
108
7.9
10.5
18.6
6.4
4.4
2.6
1.7Asian(1)
3,690
109
32
78
4.7
4.3
3.6
4.6
3.0
0.9
2.1Men
1,715
35
12
23
2.2
1.4
1.4
1.4
2.0
0.7
1.3Women
1,975
74
20
55
2.5
2.9
2.3
3.2
3.8
1.0
2.8Hispanic or Latino(1)
15,809
459
159
300
20.2
17.9
18.3
17.7
2.9
1.0
1.9Men
8,825
188
67
121
11.3
7.3
7.7
7.1
2.1
0.8
1.4Women
6,984
272
92
179
8.9
10.6
10.6
10.6
3.9
1.3
2.6Full- and part-time statusFull-time workers(2)
57,809
1,075
288
787
73.9
42.0
33.1
46.6
1.9
0.5
1.4Men
31,662
469
118
351
40.5
18.3
13.6
20.8
1.5
0.4
1.1Women
26,146
606
170
436
33.4
23.7
19.6
25.8
2.3
0.7
1.7Part-time workers(2)
20,285
1,477
579
898
25.9
57.7
66.6
53.1
7.3
2.9
4.4Men
6,989
486
212
274
8.9
19.0
24.4
16.2
7.0
3.0
3.9Women
13,296
991
367
624
17.0
38.7
42.2
36.9
7.5
2.8
4.7(1) 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.

(2) 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. Full time is 35 hours or more per week; part time is less than 35 hours.

Note: Data exclude all self-employed workers, whether or not their businesses are incorporated.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Table 2. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing federal minimum wage, by census region and division, 2015 annual averages

Region and division
Number of workers (in thousands)
Percent distribution
Percentage of workers paid hourly ratesTotal paid hourly rates
At or below minimum wage
Total paid hourly rates
At or below minimum wage
At or below minimum wageTotal
At minimum wage
Below minimum wage
Total
At minimum wage
Below minimum wage
Total
At minimum wage
Below minimum wageTotal, 16 years and older
78,232
2,561
870
1,691
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
3.3
1.1
2.2Northeast
13,133
406
106
300
16.8
15.8
12.2
17.7
3.1
0.8
2.3New England
3,790
108
20
88
4.8
4.2
2.3
5.2
2.9
0.5
2.3Middle Atlantic
9,343
298
86
212
11.9
11.6
9.9
12.5
3.2
0.9
2.3Midwest
18,593
600
169
431
23.8
23.4
19.4
25.5
3.2
0.9
2.3East North Central
12,640
425
106
319
16.2
16.6
12.2
18.9
3.4
0.8
2.5West North Central
5,953
175
62
112
7.6
6.8
7.2
6.7
2.9
1.0
1.9South
27,583
1,242
501
741
35.3
48.5
57.6
43.8
4.5
1.8
2.7South Atlantic
14,093
607
211
397
18.0
23.7
24.2
23.5
4.3
1.5
2.8East South Central
4,646
226
117
109
5.9
8.8
13.4
6.5
4.9
2.5
2.4West South Central
8,843
409
174
235
11.3
16.0
20.0
13.9
4.6
2.0
2.7West
18,923
313
94
219
24.2
12.2
10.8
12.9
1.7
0.5
1.2Mountain
5,881
159
53
106
7.5
6.2
6.1
6.3
2.7
0.9
1.8Pacific
13,042
153
41
113
16.7
6.0
4.7
6.7
1.2
0.3
0.9Note: Data exclude all self-employed persons whether or not their businesses are incorporated.

The four major regions and nine census divisions of the United States are as follows:

**Northeast**

New England: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont

Middle Atlantic: New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania

**Midwest**

East North Central: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin

West North Central: Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota

**South**

South Atlantic: Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia

East South Central: Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee

West South Central: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas

**West**

Mountain: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming

Pacific: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Table 3. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing federal minimum wage, by state, 2015 annual averages

State
Number of workers (in thousands)
Percent distribution
Percentage of workers paid hourly ratesTotal paid hourly rates
At or below minimum wage
Total paid hourly rates
At or below minimum wage
At or below minimum wageTotal
At minimum wage
Below minimum wage
Total
At minimum wage
Below minimum wage
Total
At minimum wage
Below minimum wageTotal, 16 years and older
78,232
2,561
870
1,691
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
3.3
1.1
2.2Alabama
1,182
66
40
26
1.5
2.6
4.6
1.6
5.6
3.4
2.2Alaska
209
3
1
2
0.3
0.1
0.1
0.1
1.2
0.4
0.8Arizona
1,627
44
6
38
2.1
1.7
0.7
2.2
2.7
0.4
2.3Arkansas
712
22
10
12
0.9
0.9
1.1
0.7
3.1
1.4
1.7California
9,667
115
25
90
12.4
4.5
2.9
5.3
1.2
0.3
0.9Colorado
1,242
22
3
19
1.6
0.9
0.3
1.1
1.8
0.2
1.5Connecticut
904
27
3
23
1.2
1.0
0.4
1.4
2.9
0.4
2.6Delaware
236
6
2
4
0.3
0.2
0.2
0.3
2.6
0.7
1.9District of Columbia
112
3
1
2
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
3.0
0.8
2.2Florida
4,238
160
13
147
5.4
6.2
1.5
8.7
3.8
0.3
3.5Georgia
2,173
95
46
49
2.8
3.7
5.3
2.9
4.4
2.1
2.3Hawaii
356
10
5
5
0.5
0.4
0.6
0.3
2.8
1.5
1.3Idaho
458
21
15
6
0.6
0.8
1.7
0.4
4.6
3.2
1.4Illinois
3,154
101
15
86
4.0
3.9
1.7
5.1
3.2
0.5
2.7Indiana
1,779
69
32
37
2.3
2.7
3.7
2.2
3.9
1.8
2.1Iowa
931
35
17
18
1.2
1.4
2.0
1.0
3.7
1.8
1.9Kansas
794
33
16
17
1.0
1.3
1.8
1.0
4.1
2.0
2.1Kentucky
1,090
38
15
23
1.4
1.5
1.7
1.4
3.5
1.4
2.1Louisiana
1,094
70
38
32
1.4
2.8
4.4
1.9
6.4
3.5
2.9Maine
359
10
2
8
0.5
0.4
0.2
0.5
2.7
0.5
2.2Maryland
1,418
31
5
25
1.8
1.2
0.6
1.5
2.2
0.4
1.8Massachusetts
1,651
48
9
39
2.1
1.9
1.1
2.3
2.9
0.6
2.3Michigan
2,706
101
13
88
3.5
4.0
1.5
5.2
3.7
0.5
3.3Minnesota
1,603
26
10
16
2.0
1.0
1.2
0.9
1.6
0.6
1.0Mississippi
726
45
27
18
0.9
1.8
3.1
1.1
6.2
3.7
2.5Missouri
1,583
57
13
44
2.0
2.2
1.5
2.6
3.6
0.8
2.8Montana
294
6
2
4
0.4
0.2
0.2
0.2
2.0
0.7
1.3Nebraska
558
13
4
9
0.7
0.5
0.5
0.5
2.3
0.7
1.6Nevada
794
20
9
10
1.0
0.8
1.1
0.6
2.5
1.2
1.3New Hampshire
389
16
5
11
0.5
0.6
0.5
0.7
4.1
1.2
2.9New Jersey
1,803
50
8
42
2.3
2.0
0.9
2.5
2.8
0.4
2.3New Mexico
511
16
3
13
0.7
0.6
0.3
0.8
3.1
0.5
2.5New York
4,015
97
24
74
5.1
3.8
2.7
4.4
2.4
0.6
1.8North Carolina
2,374
122
55
66
3.0
4.8
6.4
3.9
5.1
2.3
2.8North Dakota
222
5
2
4
0.3
0.2
0.2
0.2
2.3
0.7
1.6Ohio
3,219
93
16
77
4.1
3.6
1.8
4.6
2.9
0.5
2.4Oklahoma
967
29
15
15
1.2
1.1
1.7
0.9
3.0
1.5
1.5Oregon
1,015
7
3
5
1.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.7
0.3
0.5Pennsylvania
3,524
150
54
96
4.5
5.9
6.2
5.7
4.3
1.5
2.7Rhode Island
312
5
0
5
0.4
0.2
0.0
0.3
1.5
0.1
1.5South Carolina
1,191
56
34
22
1.5
2.2
4.0
1.3
4.7
2.9
1.8South Dakota
261
6
1
5
0.3
0.2
0.1
0.3
2.4
0.4
2.1Tennessee
1,649
77
35
42
2.1
3.0
4.0
2.5
4.7
2.1
2.5Texas
6,070
287
111
176
7.8
11.2
12.8
10.4
4.7
1.8
2.9Utah
776
25
13
12
1.0
1.0
1.5
0.7
3.3
1.7
1.5Vermont
175
3
0
3
0.2
0.1
0.0
0.2
1.9
0.2
1.6Virginia
1,919
120
50
69
2.5
4.7
5.8
4.1
6.2
2.6
3.6Washington
1,795
19
7
12
2.3
0.7
0.8
0.7
1.1
0.4
0.7West Virginia
433
15
5
10
0.6
0.6
0.5
0.6
3.4
1.0
2.3Wisconsin
1,781
61
30
31
2.3
2.4
3.5
1.8
3.4
1.7
1.7Wyoming
179
6
3
4
0.2
0.2
0.3
0.2
3.5
1.4
2.1Note: Data exclude all self-employed workers, whether or not their businesses are incorporated. These data are based on a sample and therefore are subject to sampling error; the degree of error may be quite large for less populous states.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Table 4. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing federal minimum wage, by occupation, 2015 annual averages

Occupation
Number of workers (in thousands)
Percent distribution
Percentage of workers paid hourly ratesTotal paid hourly rates
At or below minimum wage
Total paid hourly rates
At or below minimum wage
At or below minimum wageTotal
At minimum wage
Below minimum wage
Total
At minimum wage
Below minimum wage
Total
At minimum wage
Below minimum wageTotal, 16 years and older
78,232
2,561
870
1,691
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
3.3
1.1
2.2Management, professional, and related occupations
17,187
125
51
73
22.0
4.9
5.9
4.3
0.7
0.3
0.4Management, business, and financial operations occupations
4,954
36
9
27
6.3
1.4
1.1
1.6
0.7
0.2
0.5Professional and related occupations
12,232
89
42
47
15.6
3.5
4.8
2.8
0.7
0.3
0.4Service occupations
18,879
1,664
381
1,283
24.1
65.0
43.8
75.9
8.8
2.0
6.8Healthcare support occupations
2,853
63
30
33
3.6
2.5
3.4
2.0
2.2
1.0
1.2Protective service occupations
1,965
49
7
41
2.5
1.9
0.9
2.4
2.5
0.4
2.1Food preparation and serving related occupations
7,117
1,270
214
1,056
9.1
49.6
24.6
62.5
17.8
3.0
14.8Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations
3,932
133
64
69
5.0
5.2
7.4
4.1
3.4
1.6
1.7Personal care and service occupations
3,012
150
66
84
3.9
5.9
7.6
5.0
5.0
2.2
2.8Sales and office occupations
20,151
457
303
153
25.8
17.8
34.9
9.1
2.3
1.5
0.8Sales and related occupations
7,996
312
211
101
10.2
12.2
24.2
6.0
3.9
2.6
1.3Office and administrative support occupations
12,154
145
93
52
15.5
5.7
10.7
3.1
1.2
0.8
0.4Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations
8,758
82
25
57
11.2
3.2
2.9
3.4
0.9
0.3
0.7Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations
693
34
13
21
0.9
1.3
1.5
1.2
4.9
1.9
3.0Construction and extraction occupations
4,745
27
7
19
6.1
1.0
0.9
1.1
0.6
0.2
0.4Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations
3,319
22
4
17
4.2
0.8
0.5
1.0
0.7
0.1
0.5Production, transportation, and material moving occupations
13,258
233
109
124
16.9
9.1
12.5
7.3
1.8
0.8
0.9Production occupations
6,824
77
37
41
8.7
3.0
4.2
2.4
1.1
0.5
0.6Transportation and material moving occupations
6,434
155
72
83
8.2
6.1
8.3
4.9
2.4
1.1
1.3Note: Data exclude all self-employed workers, whether or not their businesses are incorporated.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Table 5. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing federal minimum wage, by industry, 2015 annual averages

Industry
Number of workers (in thousands)
Percent distribution
Percentage of workers paid hourly ratesTotal paid hourly rates
At or below the minimum wage
Total paid hourly rates
At or below minimum wage
At or below the minimum wageTotal
At minimum wage
Below minimum wage
Total
At minimum wage
Below minimum wage
Total
At minimum wage
Below minimum wageTotal, 16 years and older
78,232
2,561
870
1,691
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
3.3
1.1
2.2Private sector
68,895
2,440
830
1,610
88.1
95.3
95.4
95.2
3.5
1.2
2.3Agriculture and related industries
825
29
11
18
1.1
1.1
1.3
1.1
3.5
1.3
2.2Nonagricultural industries
68,070
2,411
819
1,593
87.0
94.2
94.1
94.2
3.5
1.2
2.3Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
475
3
2
1
0.6
0.1
0.2
0.1
0.6
0.3
0.3Construction
4,807
25
8
18
6.1
1.0
0.9
1.0
0.5
0.2
0.4Manufacturing
9,094
89
33
55
11.6
3.5
3.8
3.3
1.0
0.4
0.6Durable goods
5,726
50
16
34
7.3
2.0
1.8
2.0
0.9
0.3
0.6Nondurable goods
3,368
39
17
21
4.3
1.5
2.0
1.3
1.1
0.5
0.6Wholesale and retail trade
13,021
346
230
116
16.6
13.5
26.4
6.8
2.7
1.8
0.9Wholesale trade
1,675
24
9
15
2.1
0.9
1.0
0.9
1.4
0.5
0.9Retail trade
11,346
322
221
100
14.5
12.6
25.4
5.9
2.8
1.9
0.9Transportation and utilities
3,395
43
15
28
4.3
1.7
1.7
1.6
1.3
0.4
0.8Information
1,079
18
15
3
1.4
0.7
1.7
0.2
1.7
1.4
0.3Financial activities
3,499
23
8
15
4.5
0.9
1.0
0.9
0.7
0.2
0.4Professional and business services
6,336
91
41
50
8.1
3.6
4.7
3.0
1.4
0.6
0.8Education and health services
13,283
213
110
102
17.0
8.3
12.7
6.1
1.6
0.8
0.8Leisure and hospitality
9,828
1,459
323
1,136
12.6
57.0
37.2
67.2
14.8
3.3
11.6Other services
3,254
101
34
67
4.2
4.0
3.9
4.0
3.1
1.0
2.1Public sector
9,337
121
40
80
11.9
4.7
4.6
4.8
1.3
0.4
0.9Federal
1,819
16
6
10
2.3
0.6
0.7
0.6
0.9
0.3
0.6State
2,841
40
15
25
3.6
1.6
1.7
1.5
1.4
0.5
0.9Local
4,678
65
20
45
6.0
2.5
2.3
2.7
1.4
0.4
1.0Note: Data exclude all self-employed workers, whether or not their businesses are incorporated.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Table 6. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing federal minimum wage, by educational attainment, 2015 annual averages

Educational attainment
Number of workers (in thousands)
Percent distribution
Percentage of workers paid hourly ratesTotal paid hourly rates
At or below minimum wage
Total paid hourly rates
At or below minimum wage
At or below minimum wageTotal
At minimum wage
Below minimum wage
Total
At minimum wage
Below minimum wage
Total
At minimum wage
Below minimum wageTotal, 16 years and older
78,232
2,561
870
1,691
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
3.3
1.1
2.2Less than a high school diploma
9,670
556
310
246
12.4
21.7
35.7
14.5
5.8
3.2
2.5Less than 1 year of high school
2,920
77
43
34
3.7
3.0
4.9
2.0
2.6
1.5
1.21 to 3 years of high school
5,372
408
229
179
6.9
15.9
26.3
10.6
7.6
4.3
3.34 years of high school, no diploma
1,378
72
39
33
1.8
2.8
4.5
1.9
5.2
2.8
2.4High school graduates or more
68,562
2,005
560
1,445
87.6
78.3
64.3
85.5
2.9
0.8
2.1High school graduates, no college
26,554
873
288
585
33.9
34.1
33.2
34.6
3.3
1.1
2.2Some college or associate's degree
27,285
860
236
624
34.9
33.6
27.1
36.9
3.2
0.9
2.3Some college, no degree
17,916
668
179
488
22.9
26.1
20.6
28.9
3.7
1.0
2.7Associate's degree
9,369
192
56
136
12.0
7.5
6.5
8.0
2.1
0.6
1.4Occupational program
4,133
70
25
45
5.3
2.8
2.9
2.7
1.7
0.6
1.1Academic program
5,236
122
31
91
6.7
4.7
3.6
5.4
2.3
0.6
1.7Bachelor's degree and higher
14,723
272
36
236
18.8
10.6
4.1
14.0
1.8
0.2
1.6Bachelor's degree
11,324
224
31
193
14.5
8.7
3.5
11.4
2.0
0.3
1.7Master's degree
2,725
33
5
28
3.5
1.3
0.5
1.7
1.2
0.2
1.0Professional degree
342
7
0
6
0.4
0.3
0.0
0.4
1.9
0.1
1.8Doctoral degree
332
8
0
8
0.4
0.3
0.0
0.5
2.5
0.0
2.5Note: Data exclude all self-employed workers, whether or not their businesses are incorporated.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Table 7. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing federal minimum wage, by age and gender, 2015 annual averages

Age and gender
Number of workers (in thousands)
Percent distribution
Percentage of workers paid hourly ratesTotal paid hourly rates
At or below minimum wage
Total paid hourly rates
At or below minimum wage
At or below minimum wageTotal
At minimum wage
Below minimum wage
Total
At minimum wage
Below minimum wage
Total
At minimum wage
Below minimum wageTotalTotal, 16 years and older
78,232
2,561
870
1,691
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
3.3
1.1
2.216 to 24 years
15,562
1,153
475
678
19.9
45.0
54.6
40.1
7.4
3.1
4.416 to 19 years
4,355
487
258
229
5.6
19.0
29.6
13.6
11.2
5.9
5.320 to 24 years
11,207
666
217
449
14.3
26.0
25.0
26.5
5.9
1.9
4.025 years and older
62,670
1,408
395
1,013
80.1
55.0
45.4
59.9
2.2
0.6
1.625 to 34 years
18,302
596
157
439
23.4
23.3
18.0
26.0
3.3
0.9
2.425 to 29 years
9,862
359
92
267
12.6
14.0
10.5
15.8
3.6
0.9
2.730 to 34 years
8,440
237
65
172
10.8
9.3
7.5
10.2
2.8
0.8
2.035 to 44 years
14,530
316
73
243
18.6
12.3
8.4
14.4
2.2
0.5
1.735 to 39 years
7,436
173
38
135
9.5
6.8
4.4
8.0
2.3
0.5
1.840 to 44 years
7,094
143
35
108
9.1
5.6
4.0
6.4
2.0
0.5
1.545 to 54 years
14,917
260
63
197
19.1
10.1
7.2
11.7
1.7
0.4
1.345 to 49 years
7,381
141
30
111
9.4
5.5
3.5
6.5
1.9
0.4
1.550 to 54 years
7,536
119
33
86
9.6
4.6
3.8
5.1
1.6
0.4
1.155 to 64 years
11,400
186
81
106
14.6
7.3
9.3
6.2
1.6
0.7
0.955 to 59 years
6,780
104
39
66
8.7
4.1
4.5
3.9
1.5
0.6
1.060 to 64 years
4,621
82
42
40
5.9
3.2
4.8
2.4
1.8
0.9
0.965 years and older
3,520
50
22
28
4.5
2.0
2.5
1.7
1.4
0.6
0.865 to 69 years
2,103
36
17
19
2.7
1.4
1.9
1.1
1.7
0.8
0.970 years and older
1,418
14
5
9
1.8
0.6
0.6
0.5
1.0
0.4
0.7MenTotal, 16 years and older
38,732
959
330
629
49.5
37.4
37.9
37.2
2.5
0.9
1.616 to 24 years
7,778
417
193
224
9.9
16.3
22.1
13.3
5.4
2.5
2.916 to 19 years
2,124
194
107
87
2.7
7.6
12.3
5.1
9.1
5.1
4.120 to 24 years
5,654
223
85
138
7.2
8.7
9.8
8.1
3.9
1.5
2.425 years and older
30,954
542
137
404
39.6
21.2
15.8
23.9
1.8
0.4
1.325 to 34 years
9,689
248
67
181
12.4
9.7
7.7
10.7
2.6
0.7
1.925 to 29 years
5,239
147
38
109
6.7
5.7
4.4
6.4
2.8
0.7
2.130 to 34 years
4,449
101
29
72
5.7
3.9
3.3
4.3
2.3
0.6
1.635 to 44 years
7,308
113
23
91
9.3
4.4
2.6
5.4
1.6
0.3
1.235 to 39 years
3,770
66
14
53
4.8
2.6
1.6
3.1
1.8
0.4
1.440 to 44 years
3,538
47
9
38
4.5
1.8
1.0
2.3
1.3
0.2
1.145 to 54 years
7,051
90
15
76
9.0
3.5
1.7
4.5
1.3
0.2
1.145 to 49 years
3,582
52
8
43
4.6
2.0
1.0
2.6
1.4
0.2
1.250 to 54 years
3,468
38
6
32
4.4
1.5
0.7
1.9
1.1
0.2
0.955 to 64 years
5,307
70
28
42
6.8
2.7
3.2
2.5
1.3
0.5
0.855 to 59 years
3,144
39
12
27
4.0
1.5
1.4
1.6
1.3
0.4
0.960 to 64 years
2,163
30
15
15
2.8
1.2
1.8
0.9
1.4
0.7
0.765 years and older
1,598
20
6
14
2.0
0.8
0.7
0.8
1.3
0.4
0.965 to 69 years
941
15
5
10
1.2
0.6
0.6
0.6
1.6
0.5
1.070 years and older
658
5
1
4
0.8
0.2
0.1
0.3
0.8
0.2
0.7WomenTotal, 16 years and older
39,500
1,602
540
1,062
50.5
62.6
62.1
62.8
4.1
1.4
2.716 to 24 years
7,784
736
282
454
10.0
28.7
32.5
26.8
9.5
3.6
5.816 to 19 years
2,231
293
150
143
2.9
11.4
17.3
8.4
13.1
6.7
6.420 to 24 years
5,553
443
132
311
7.1
17.3
15.2
18.4
8.0
2.4
5.625 years and older
31,716
866
258
608
40.5
33.8
29.6
36.0
2.7
0.8
1.925 to 34 years
8,613
348
90
258
11.0
13.6
10.3
15.3
4.0
1.0
3.025 to 29 years
4,622
212
54
158
5.9
8.3
6.2
9.3
4.6
1.2
3.430 to 34 years
3,991
136
36
100
5.1
5.3
4.2
5.9
3.4
0.9
2.535 to 44 years
7,222
202
50
152
9.2
7.9
5.8
9.0
2.8
0.7
2.135 to 39 years
3,666
107
24
82
4.7
4.2
2.8
4.9
2.9
0.7
2.340 to 44 years
3,556
96
26
70
4.5
3.7
3.0
4.1
2.7
0.7
2.045 to 54 years
7,866
169
48
121
10.1
6.6
5.5
7.2
2.2
0.6
1.545 to 49 years
3,798
89
22
67
4.9
3.5
2.5
4.0
2.3
0.6
1.850 to 54 years
4,068
81
26
54
5.2
3.1
3.0
3.2
2.0
0.6
1.355 to 64 years
6,093
116
53
63
7.8
4.5
6.1
3.7
1.9
0.9
1.055 to 59 years
3,635
65
27
38
4.6
2.5
3.1
2.3
1.8
0.7
1.160 to 64 years
2,458
51
26
25
3.1
2.0
3.0
1.5
2.1
1.1
1.065 years and older
1,922
30
16
14
2.5
1.2
1.9
0.8
1.6
0.8
0.765 to 69 years
1,162
21
12
9
1.5
0.8
1.4
0.5
1.8
1.0
0.870 years and older
760
9
4
5
1.0
0.4
0.5
0.3
1.2
0.6
0.6Note: Data exclude all self-employed workers, whether or not their businesses are incorporated.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Table 8. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing federal minimum wage, by marital status, age, and gender, 2015 annual averages

Marital status, age, and gender
Number of workers (in thousands)
Percent distribution
Percentage of workers paid hourly ratesTotal paid hourly rates
At or below minimum wage
Total paid hourly rates
At or below minimum wage
At or below minimum wageTotal
At minimum wage
Below minimum wage
Total
At minimum wage
Below minimum wage
Total
At minimum wage
Below minimum wageTotalTotal, 16 years and older
78,232
2,561
870
1,691
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
3.3
1.1
2.2Never married
30,332
1,629
591
1,038
38.8
63.6
67.9
61.4
5.4
1.9
3.416 to 24 years
14,092
1,071
441
630
18.0
41.8
50.7
37.2
7.6
3.1
4.525 years and older
16,240
558
149
409
20.8
21.8
17.2
24.2
3.4
0.9
2.525 to 54 years
14,843
521
130
391
19.0
20.3
15.0
23.1
3.5
0.9
2.6Married, spouse present
34,804
601
185
417
44.5
23.5
21.2
24.6
1.7
0.5
1.216 to 24 years
1,091
57
24
33
1.4
2.2
2.8
1.9
5.2
2.2
3.025 years and older
33,714
544
161
384
43.1
21.3
18.5
22.7
1.6
0.5
1.125 to 54 years
24,515
432
112
320
31.3
16.9
12.9
18.9
1.8
0.5
1.3Other marital status
13,096
330
94
236
16.7
12.9
10.9
13.9
2.5
0.7
1.816 to 24 years
379
25
10
15
0.5
1.0
1.1
0.9
6.5
2.5
4.025 years and older
12,716
305
85
221
16.3
11.9
9.8
13.0
2.4
0.7
1.725 to 54 years
8,391
218
49
169
10.7
8.5
5.7
10.0
2.6
0.6
2.0MenTotal, 16 years and older
38,732
959
330
629
49.5
37.4
37.9
37.2
2.5
0.9
1.6Never married
15,908
641
235
406
20.3
25.0
27.0
24.0
4.0
1.5
2.616 to 24 years
7,153
395
179
215
9.1
15.4
20.6
12.7
5.5
2.5
3.025 years and older
8,754
246
55
191
11.2
9.6
6.4
11.3
2.8
0.6
2.225 to 54 years
8,095
229
48
181
10.3
8.9
5.5
10.7
2.8
0.6
2.2Married, spouse present
17,782
232
76
157
22.7
9.1
8.7
9.3
1.3
0.4
0.916 to 24 years
472
17
13
4
0.6
0.7
1.5
0.2
3.7
2.8
0.825 years and older
17,309
215
62
153
22.1
8.4
7.1
9.0
1.2
0.4
0.925 to 54 years
12,516
166
42
124
16.0
6.5
4.8
7.4
1.3
0.3
1.0Other marital status
5,042
86
20
66
6.4
3.4
2.3
3.9
1.7
0.4
1.316 to 24 years
153
5
0
5
0.2
0.2
0.0
0.3
3.1
0.0
3.125 years and older
4,890
81
20
61
6.3
3.2
2.3
3.6
1.7
0.4
1.325 to 54 years
3,437
57
14
43
4.4
2.2
1.6
2.5
1.7
0.4
1.2WomenTotal, 16 years and older
39,500
1,602
540
1,062
50.5
62.6
62.1
62.8
4.1
1.4
2.7Never married
14,425
988
356
632
18.4
38.6
40.9
37.4
6.9
2.5
4.416 to 24 years
6,939
676
262
414
8.9
26.4
30.1
24.5
9.7
3.8
6.025 years and older
7,486
312
94
218
9.6
12.2
10.8
12.9
4.2
1.3
2.925 to 54 years
6,748
293
82
210
8.6
11.4
9.5
12.4
4.3
1.2
3.1Married, spouse present
17,023
369
109
260
21.8
14.4
12.6
15.4
2.2
0.6
1.516 to 24 years
618
40
11
29
0.8
1.6
1.3
1.7
6.4
1.8
4.725 years and older
16,404
329
98
231
21.0
12.9
11.3
13.7
2.0
0.6
1.425 to 54 years
11,999
266
70
195
15.3
10.4
8.1
11.5
2.2
0.6
1.6Other marital status
8,053
244
75
170
10.3
9.5
8.6
10.0
3.0
0.9
2.116 to 24 years
227
20
10
10
0.3
0.8
1.1
0.6
8.8
4.2
4.625 years and older
7,826
224
65
159
10.0
8.8
7.5
9.4
2.9
0.8
2.025 to 54 years
4,954
162
35
126
6.3
6.3
4.1
7.5
3.3
0.7
2.5Note: Data exclude all self-employed workers, whether or not their businesses are incorporated. Other marital status includes married, spouse absent; divorced; separated; and widowed persons.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Table 9. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing federal minimum wage, by usual hours worked per week on primary job, 2015 annual averages

Usual hours worked per week on primary job
Number of workers (in thousands)
Percent distribution
Percentage of workers paid hourly ratesTotal paid hourly rates
At or below minimum wage
Total paid hourly rates
At or below minimum wage
At or below minimum wageTotal
At minimum wage
Below minimum wage
Total
At minimum wage
Below minimum wage
Total
At minimum wage
Below minimum wageTotal, 16 years and older
78,232
2,561
870
1,691
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
3.3
1.1
2.2Hours vary
4,831
314
107
207
6.2
12.3
12.4
12.2
6.5
2.2
4.30 to 34 hours
18,401
1,324
516
808
23.5
51.7
59.3
47.8
7.2
2.8
4.40 to 4 hours
338
31
11
20
0.4
1.2
1.3
1.2
9.2
3.4
5.85 to 9 hours
980
90
48
42
1.3
3.5
5.5
2.5
9.2
4.9
4.310 to 14 hours
1,586
120
58
61
2.0
4.7
6.7
3.6
7.5
3.7
3.915 to 19 hours
2,286
176
85
91
2.9
6.9
9.8
5.4
7.7
3.7
4.020 to 24 hours
5,297
355
136
220
6.8
13.9
15.6
13.0
6.7
2.6
4.125 to 29 hours
2,991
230
79
152
3.8
9.0
9.0
9.0
7.7
2.6
5.130 to 34 hours
4,922
322
99
223
6.3
12.6
11.4
13.2
6.5
2.0
4.535 hours or more
55,000
922
246
676
70.3
36.0
28.3
40.0
1.7
0.4
1.235 to 39 hours
5,905
255
63
192
7.5
9.9
7.3
11.3
4.3
1.1
3.240 hours or more
49,095
668
183
485
62.8
26.1
21.0
28.7
1.4
0.4
1.040 hours
42,492
578
164
414
54.3
22.6
18.9
24.5
1.4
0.4
1.041 hours or more
6,604
89
19
71
8.4
3.5
2.1
4.2
1.4
0.3
1.141 to 44 hours
707
13
1
11
0.9
0.5
0.1
0.7
1.8
0.2
1.645 to 48 hours
2,224
24
4
19
2.8
0.9
0.5
1.2
1.1
0.2
0.949 to 59 hours
2,504
32
4
28
3.2
1.2
0.5
1.6
1.3
0.2
1.160 hours or more
1,167
21
9
12
1.5
0.8
1.0
0.7
1.8
0.7
1.1Note: Data exclude all self-employed workers, whether or not their businesses are incorporated. Estimates of usual hours worked presented in this table differ from usual full- or part-time status (as shown in table 1) because of a sizable number of workers whose usual hours vary on the primary job.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Table 10. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below prevailing federal minimum wage, by gender, 1979–2015 annual averages(numbers in thousands)

Year and gender
Total wage
and salary workers
Workers paid hourly ratesTotal
Percentage of total wage and salary workers
At prevailing federal minimum wage(1)
Below prevailing
federal minimum
wage(1)
Total at or below prevailing federal minimum wageNumber
Percentage of hourly paid workersTotal1979
87,529
51,721
59.1
3,997
2,916
6,912
13.41980
87,644
51,335
58.6
4,686
3,087
7,773
15.11981
88,516
51,869
58.6
4,311
3,513
7,824
15.11982
87,368
50,846
58.2
4,148
2,348
6,496
12.81983
88,290
51,820
58.7
4,261
2,077
6,338
12.21984
92,194
54,143
58.7
4,125
1,838
5,963
11.01985
94,521
55,762
59.0
3,899
1,639
5,538
9.91986
96,903
57,529
59.4
3,461
1,599
5,060
8.81987
99,303
59,552
60.0
3,229
1,468
4,698
7.91988
101,407
60,878
60.0
2,608
1,319
3,927
6.51989
103,480
62,389
60.3
1,790
1,372
3,162
5.11990
104,876
63,172
60.2
1,096
2,132
3,228
5.11991
103,723
62,627
60.4
2,906
2,377
5,283
8.41992
104,668
63,610
60.8
2,982
1,939
4,921
7.71993
106,101
64,274
60.6
2,625
1,707
4,332
6.71994
107,989
66,549
61.6
2,132
1,995
4,128
6.21995
110,038
68,354
62.1
1,956
1,699
3,656
5.31996
111,960
69,255
61.9
1,861
1,863
3,724
5.41997
114,533
70,735
61.8
1,764
2,990
4,754
6.71998
116,730
71,440
61.2
1,593
2,834
4,427
6.21999
118,963
72,306
60.8
1,146
2,194
3,340
4.62000
122,089
73,496
60.2
898
1,752
2,650
3.62001
122,229
73,392
60.0
656
1,518
2,174
3.02002
121,826
72,508
59.5
567
1,579
2,146
3.02003
122,358
72,946
59.6
545
1,555
2,100
2.92004
123,554
73,939
59.8
520
1,483
2,003
2.72005
125,889
75,609
60.1
479
1,403
1,882
2.52006
128,237
76,514
59.7
409
1,283
1,692
2.22007
129,767
75,873
58.5
267
1,462
1,729
2.32008
129,377
75,305
58.2
286
1,940
2,226
3.02009
124,490
72,611
58.3
980
2,592
3,572
4.92010
124,073
72,902
58.8
1,820
2,541
4,361
6.02011
125,187
73,926
59.1
1,677
2,152
3,829
5.22012
127,577
75,276
59.0
1,566
1,984
3,550
4.72013
129,110
75,948
58.8
1,532
1,768
3,301
4.32014
131,431
77,207
58.7
1,255
1,737
2,992
3.92015
133,743
78,232
58.5
870
1,691
2,561
3.3Men1979
49,400
28,392
57.5
1,353
846
2,199
7.71980
48,700
27,709
56.9
1,696
983
2,678
9.71981
48,844
27,576
56.5
1,533
1,119
2,652
9.61982
47,591
26,481
55.6
1,587
697
2,284
8.61983
47,856
26,831
56.1
1,658
585
2,243
8.41984
50,022
28,140
56.3
1,626
490
2,116
7.51985
51,015
28,893
56.6
1,544
440
1,984
6.91986
51,942
29,666
57.1
1,336
408
1,743
5.91987
52,938
30,474
57.6
1,283
364
1,647
5.41988
53,912
31,058
57.6
1,066
311
1,377
4.41989
54,789
31,687
57.8
733
379
1,112
3.51990
55,553
32,104
57.8
385
712
1,097
3.41991
54,618
31,639
57.9
1,114
795
1,909
6.01992
54,826
32,155
58.6
1,231
653
1,885
5.91993
55,475
32,337
58.3
1,091
573
1,664
5.11994
56,570
33,528
59.3
891
674
1,565
4.71995
57,669
34,420
59.7
796
542
1,338
3.91996
58,473
34,838
59.6
755
619
1,374
3.91997
59,825
35,521
59.4
673
1,147
1,820
5.11998
60,973
35,761
58.7
628
1,039
1,667
4.71999
61,914
36,073
58.3
446
768
1,214
3.42000
63,662
36,720
57.7
319
582
901
2.52001
63,647
36,544
57.4
247
497
744
2.02002
63,272
36,000
56.9
217
582
799
2.22003
63,236
35,853
56.7
213
493
706
2.02004
64,145
36,806
57.4
210
470
680
1.82005
65,466
37,652
57.5
189
459
648
1.72006
66,811
38,193
57.2
146
422
568
1.52007
67,468
37,790
56.0
86
460
546
1.42008
66,846
37,334
55.9
90
638
728
1.92009
63,539
35,185
55.4
368
990
1,358
3.92010
63,531
35,498
55.9
669
943
1,612
4.52011
64,686
36,457
56.4
648
785
1,433
3.92012
65,898
37,113
56.3
567
696
1,263
3.42013
66,794
37,544
56.2
622
621
1,243
3.32014
68,048
38,405
56.4
516
598
1,114
2.92015
69,298
38,732
55.9
330
629
959
2.5Women1979
38,129
23,329
61.2
2,644
2,070
4,714
20.21980
38,944
23,626
60.7
2,990
2,104
5,095
21.61981
39,672
24,294
61.2
2,778
2,394
5,172
21.31982
39,777
24,365
61.3
2,561
1,651
4,212
17.31983
40,433
24,989
61.8
2,603
1,492
4,095
16.41984
42,172
26,003
61.7
2,499
1,348
3,847
14.81985
43,506
26,869
61.8
2,356
1,198
3,554
13.21986
44,961
27,863
62.0
2,125
1,192
3,317
11.91987
46,365
29,078
62.7
1,946
1,105
3,051
10.51988
47,495
29,820
62.8
1,542
1,008
2,550
8.61989
48,691
30,702
63.1
1,056
994
2,050
6.71990
49,323
31,069
63.0
711
1,420
2,131
6.91991
49,105
30,988
63.1
1,792
1,582
3,374
10.91992
49,842
31,454
63.1
1,751
1,286
3,036
9.71993
50,626
31,937
63.1
1,534
1,133
2,667
8.41994
51,419
33,021
64.2
1,241
1,322
2,563
7.81995
52,369
33,934
64.8
1,161
1,157
2,318
6.81996
53,488
34,418
64.3
1,106
1,244
2,350
6.81997
54,708
35,214
64.4
1,092
1,843
2,935
8.31998
55,757
35,680
64.0
965
1,794
2,760
7.71999
57,050
36,233
63.5
700
1,426
2,126
5.92000
58,427
36,777
62.9
579
1,170
1,749
4.82001
58,582
36,848
62.9
409
1,021
1,430
3.92002
58,555
36,508
62.3
350
997
1,347
3.72003
59,122
37,093
62.7
332
1,062
1,394
3.82004
59,408
37,133
62.5
310
1,013
1,323
3.62005
60,423
37,957
62.8
290
944
1,234
3.32006
61,426
38,321
62.4
263
861
1,124
2.92007
62,299
38,082
61.1
181
1,002
1,183
3.12008
62,532
37,972
60.7
196
1,302
1,498
3.92009
60,951
37,426
61.4
612
1,603
2,215
5.92010
60,542
37,404
61.8
1,151
1,598
2,749
7.32011
60,502
37,469
61.9
1,029
1,366
2,395
6.42012
61,679
38,163
61.9
999
1,288
2,287
6.02013
62,316
38,404
61.6
910
1,148
2,058
5.42014
63,383
38,802
61.2
739
1,139
1,878
4.82015
64,445
39,500
61.3
540
1,062
1,602
4.1(1) Data for 1990–1991, 1996–1997, and 2007–2009 reflect changes in the minimum wage that took place in those years.

Note: The comparability of historical labor force data has been affected at various times by methodological and conceptual changes in the Current Population Survey (CPS). Information about historical comparability is available at www.bls.gov/cps/documentation.htm#comp.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Technical Notes
     
The estimates in this report were obtained from the Current Population Survey (CPS), which provides information on the labor force, employment, and unemployment. The survey is conducted monthly for the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) by the U.S. Census Bureau using a scientifically selected national sample of about 60,000 eligible households in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The survey also provides data on earnings, which are based on one-fourth of the CPS monthly sample and are limited to wage and salary workers. All self-employed workers, both incorporated and unincorporated, are excluded from these earnings estimates.

Upon request, the information in this article will be made available to individuals who are sensory impaired. Voice telephone: (202) 691-5200. Federal Relay Service: 1-800-877-8339. This report is in the public domain and may be used without permission.

Concepts and definitions

The principal definitions for the main concepts presented in this report are below.

*Wage and salary workers* are those age 16 and older who receive wages, salaries, commissions, tips, payments in kind, or piece rates on their sole or principal job. This group includes employees in both the private and public sectors. All self-employed workers are excluded whether or not their businesses are incorporated.

*Workers paid by the hour* are wage and salary workers who report that they are paid at an hourly rate on their job. Historically, workers paid an hourly wage have made up approximately three-fifths of all wage and salary workers. Estimates of workers paid by the hour include both full- and part-time workers unless otherwise specified.

*Hourly earnings* data are for wage and salary workers who are paid by the hour and refer to a person’s sole or principal job. Hourly earnings for hourly paid workers do not include overtime pay, commissions, or tips received.

*Workers paid at or below the prevailing federal minimum wage* pertain only to workers who are paid hourly rates. Salaried workers and other nonhourly paid workers are excluded.

Regular collection of earnings data in the basic CPS began in 1979. The prevailing federal minimum wage for 1979 and later years is listed below:

**Federal minimum wage**
**Effective date**$2.90
January 1, 1979$3.10
January 1, 1980$3.35
January 1, 1981$3.80
April 1, 1990$4.25
April 1, 1991$4.75
October 1, 1996$5.15
September 1, 1997$5.85
July 24, 2007$6.55
July 24, 2008$7.25
July 24, 2009

 

Estimates of the annual average number of minimum wage workers for years when the minimum wage increased reflect both minimum wage levels in effect during the year. For example, data for 2007 reflect the number of workers at or below the federal minimum of $5.15 for January to July and $5.85 for August to December.

*Full-time workers* are defined as those who usually work 35 hours or more per week at their sole or principal job.

*Part-time workers* are defined as those who usually work fewer than 35 hours per week at their sole or principal job.

*Race* is determined by the household respondent in the survey process. In accordance with the Office of Management and Budget guidelines, White, Black or African American, Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander are terms used to describe a person’s race. The latter two race groups and people who selected more than one race are included in totals but not separately identified in this report because the number of survey respondents is too small to develop estimates of sufficient quality.

*Hispanic or Latino ethnicity* refers to people who identified themselves in the survey process as being of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin. People whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race.

Interpreting minimum wage data

The CPS does not determine whether workers are covered by the minimum wage provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) or by individual state or local minimum wage laws. The estimates of workers paid at or below the federal minimum wage are based solely on the hourly wage they report (which does not include overtime pay, tips, or commissions). Some respondents might round hourly earnings when answering survey questions. As a result, some workers might be reported as having hourly earnings above or below the federal minimum wage when, in fact, they earn the minimum wage.

Some workers reported as earning at or below the prevailing federal minimum wage may not, in fact, be covered by federal or state minimum wage laws because of exclusions and exemptions in the statutes. Thus, the presence of workers with hourly earnings below the federal minimum wage does not necessarily indicate violations of the FLSA or state statutes in cases where such standards apply.

Estimates of the number of minimum wage workers in this report pertain only to workers who are paid hourly rates. Salaried workers and other workers who are not paid by the hour are excluded, even though some have earnings that, if converted to hourly rates, would be at or below the federal minimum wage. Consequently, the estimates presented in this report likely understate the actual number of workers with hourly earnings at or below the minimum wage. BLS does not routinely estimate the hourly earnings of workers not paid by the hour because of data-quality concerns associated with constructing such an estimate.

A number of states have established minimum wage rates that exceed the federal level. (Information on state minimum wage laws is available at www.dol.gov/whd/minwage/america.htm.) Users should be cautious about comparing state estimates in this report because of differing statutory minimum wages. It also should be noted that the CPS sample is based on residence; workers report their earnings on their job, which may or may not be located in the same state in which they live. In addition, the degree of sampling error may be quite large for some state estimates.

Reliability

Statistics based on the CPS are subject to both sampling and nonsampling error. When a sample, rather than the entire population, is surveyed, there is a chance that the sample estimates may differ from the true population values they represent. Sampling error is the component of this difference that occurs because samples differ by chance, and its variability is measured by the standard error of the estimate. There is about a 90-percent chance, or level of confidence, that an estimate based on a sample will differ by no more than 1.6 standard errors from the true population value because of sampling error. BLS analyses are generally conducted at the 90-percent level of confidence.

The CPS data also are affected by nonsampling error. Nonsampling error can occur for many reasons, including the failure to sample a segment of the population, inability to obtain information for all respondents in the sample, inability or unwillingness of respondents to provide correct information, and errors made in the collection or processing of the data. For example, respondents may round their hourly earnings to whole dollars when answering survey questions.

Information about the reliability of data from the CPS is available on the BLS website at www.bls.gov/cps/documentation.htm#reliability.
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