Characteristics of Minimum Wage Workers: 2011

Tables 1 - 10

Employed wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing Federal minimum wage, 2011 annual averages:

1. by selected characteristics
2. by census region and division
3. by State
4. by major occupation group
5. by major industry group
6. by educational attainment
7. by age and sex
8. by marital status, age, and sex
9. by usual hours worked per week
10. by sex (1979-2011 annual averages)

Table 1. Employed wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing Federal minimum wage by selected characteristics, 2011 annual averages

Characteristic	Number of workers (in thousands)				Percent distribution				Percent of workers paid hourly rates
	Total paid hourly rates	At or below minimum wage			Total paid hourly rates	At or below minimum wage			At or below minimum wage
		Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage		Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage
AGE AND SEX
Total, 16 years and over	73,926	3,829	1,677	2,152	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	5.2	2.3	2.9
16 to 24 years	14,436	1,896	893	1,003	19.5	49.5	53.2	46.6	13.1	6.2	6.9
16 to 19 years	3,936	899	491	408	5.3	23.5	29.3	19.0	22.8	12.5	10.4
25 years and over	59,490	1,933	784	1,149	80.5	50.5	46.8	53.4	3.2	1.3	1.9
Men, 16 years and over	36,457	1,433	648	785	49.3	37.4	38.6	36.5	3.9	1.8	2.2
16 to 24 years	7,290	787	388	399	9.9	20.6	23.1	18.5	10.8	5.3	5.5
16 to 19 years	1,872	373	212	161	2.5	9.7	12.6	7.5	19.9	11.3	8.6
25 years and over	29,167	647	260	387	39.5	16.9	15.5	18.0	2.2	0.9	1.3
Women, 16 years and over	37,469	2,395	1,029	1,366	50.7	62.5	61.4	63.5	6.4	2.7	3.6
16 to 24 years	7,147	1,109	505	604	9.7	29.0	30.1	28.1	15.5	7.1	8.5
16 to 19 years	2,064	526	279	247	2.8	13.7	16.6	11.5	25.5	13.5	12.0
25 years and over	30,323	1,286	524	762	41.0	33.6	31.2	35.4	4.2	1.7	2.5
RACE, SEX, AND HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY
White (1)	59,314	3,006	1,258	1,748	80.2	78.5	75.0	81.2	5.1	2.1	2.9
Men	29,743	1,108	484	624	40.2	28.9	28.9	29.0	3.7	1.6	2.1
Women	29,571	1,898	774	1,124	40.0	49.6	46.2	52.2	6.4	2.6	3.8
Black or African American (1)	9,523	577	324	253	12.9	15.1	19.3	11.8	6.1	3.4	2.7
Men	4,252	222	117	105	5.8	5.8	7.0	4.9	5.2	2.8	2.5
Women	5,271	356	208	148	7.1	9.3	12.4	6.9	6.8	3.9	2.8
Asian (1)	3,037	99	36	63	4.1	2.6	2.1	2.9	3.3	1.2	2.1
Men	1,425	41	13	28	1.9	1.1	0.8	1.3	2.9	0.9	2.0
Women	1,612	58	23	35	2.2	1.5	1.4	1.6	3.6	1.4	2.2
Hispanic or Latino (1)	13,264	720	340	380	17.9	18.8	20.3	17.7	5.4	2.6	2.9
Men	7,703	326	154	172	10.4	8.5	9.2	8.0	4.2	2.0	2.2
Women	5,561	394	186	208	7.5	10.3	11.1	9.7	7.1	3.3	3.7
FULL- AND PART-TIME STATUS AND SEX
Full-time workers (2)	53,594	1,274	522	752	72.5	33.3	31.1	34.9	2.4	1.0	1.4
Men	29,292	501	205	296	39.6	13.1	12.2	13.8	1.7	0.7	1.0
Women	24,302	773	317	456	32.9	20.2	18.9	21.2	3.2	1.3	1.9
Part-time workers (2)	20,199	2,545	1,153	1,392	27.3	66.5	68.8	64.7	12.6	5.7	6.9
Men	7,103	932	443	489	9.6	24.3	26.4	22.7	13.1	6.2	6.9
Women	13,096	1,615	711	904	17.7	42.2	42.4	42.0	12.3	5.4	6.9
Footnotes: (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 persons whether or not their businesses are incorporated.

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Table 2. Employed wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing Federal minimum wage by census region and division, 2011 annual averages

Region and division	Number of workers (in thousands)				Percent distribution				Percent of workers paid hourly rates
	Total paid hourly rates	At or below minimum wage			Total paid hourly rates	At or below minimum wage			At or below minimum wage
		Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage		Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage
Total, 16 years and over	73,926	3,829	1,677	2,152	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	5.2	2.3	2.9
Northeast	12,755	619	255	364	17.3	16.2	15.2	16.9	4.9	2.0	2.9
New England	3,629	128	26	102	4.9	3.3	1.6	4.7	3.5	0.7	2.8
Middle Atlantic	9,126	490	228	262	12.3	12.8	13.6	12.2	5.4	2.5	2.9
Midwest	18,135	910	354	556	24.5	23.8	21.1	25.8	5.0	2.0	3.1
East North Central	12,311	562	171	391	16.7	14.7	10.2	18.2	4.6	1.4	3.2
West North Central	5,823	349	183	166	7.9	9.1	10.9	7.7	6.0	3.1	2.9
South	25,652	1,845	912	933	34.7	48.2	54.4	43.4	7.2	3.6	3.6
South Atlantic	12,806	895	393	502	17.3	23.4	23.4	23.3	7.0	3.1	3.9
East South Central	4,365	297	158	139	5.9	7.8	9.4	6.5	6.8	3.6	3.2
West South Central	8,481	654	362	292	11.5	17.1	21.6	13.6	7.7	4.3	3.4
West	17,385	454	156	298	23.5	11.9	9.3	13.8	2.6	0.9	1.7
Mountain	5,450	252	83	169	7.4	6.6	4.9	7.9	4.6	1.5	3.1
Pacific	11,935	203	73	130	16.1	5.3	4.4	6.0	1.7	0.6	1.1

NOTE: 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

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Table 3. Employed wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing Federal minimum wage by State, 2011 annual averages

State	Number of workers (in thousands)				Percent distribution				Percent of workers paid hourly rates
	Total paid hourly rates	At or below minimum wage			Total paid hourly rates	At or below minimum wage			At or below minimum wage
		Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage		Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage
Total, 16 years and over	73,926	3,829	1,677	2,152	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	5.2	2.3	2.9
Alabama	1,147	74	43	31	1.6	1.9	2.6	1.4	6.5	3.7	2.7
Alaska	212	4	1	3	0.3	0.1	0.1	0.1	1.9	0.5	1.4
Arizona	1,517	85	20	65	2.1	2.2	1.2	3.0	5.6	1.3	4.3
Arkansas	746	49	33	16	1.0	1.3	2.0	0.7	6.6	4.4	2.1
California	8,706	139	53	86	11.8	3.6	3.2	4.0	1.6	0.6	1.0
Colorado	1,222	49	9	40	1.7	1.3	0.5	1.9	4.0	0.7	3.3
Connecticut	870	25	4	21	1.2	0.7	0.2	1.0	2.9	0.5	2.4
Delaware	213	11	3	8	0.3	0.3	0.2	0.4	5.2	1.4	3.8
District of Columbia	94	4	1	3	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	4.3	1.1	3.2
Florida	3,891	246	73	173	5.3	6.4	4.4	8.0	6.3	1.9	4.4
Georgia	2,041	196	105	91	2.8	5.1	6.3	4.2	9.6	5.1	4.5
Hawaii	321	15	8	7	0.4	0.4	0.5	0.3	4.7	2.5	2.2
Idaho	379	19	12	7	0.5	0.5	0.7	0.3	5.0	3.2	1.8
Illinois	3,095	109	29	80	4.2	2.8	1.7	3.7	3.5	0.9	2.6
Indiana	1,730	108	54	54	2.3	2.8	3.2	2.5	6.2	3.1	3.1
Iowa	941	53	28	25	1.3	1.4	1.7	1.2	5.6	3.0	2.7
Kansas	802	56	27	29	1.1	1.5	1.6	1.3	7.0	3.4	3.6
Kentucky	1,077	63	30	33	1.5	1.6	1.8	1.5	5.8	2.8	3.1
Louisiana	1,011	75	33	42	1.4	2.0	2.0	2.0	7.4	3.3	4.2
Maine	381	14	3	11	0.5	0.4	0.2	0.5	3.7	0.8	2.9
Maryland	1,274	65	27	38	1.7	1.7	1.6	1.8	5.1	2.1	3.0
Massachusetts	1,539	60	11	49	2.1	1.6	0.7	2.3	3.9	0.7	3.2
Michigan	2,550	117	29	88	3.4	3.1	1.7	4.1	4.6	1.1	3.5
Minnesota	1,544	78	47	31	2.1	2.0	2.8	1.4	5.1	3.0	2.0
Mississippi	686	58	37	21	0.9	1.5	2.2	1.0	8.5	5.4	3.1
Missouri	1,543	109	54	55	2.1	2.8	3.2	2.6	7.1	3.5	3.6
Montana	271	10	6	4	0.4	0.3	0.4	0.2	3.7	2.2	1.5
Nebraska	532	29	15	14	0.7	0.8	0.9	0.7	5.5	2.8	2.6
Nevada	670	22	9	13	0.9	0.6	0.5	0.6	3.3	1.3	1.9
New Hampshire	368	14	4	10	0.5	0.4	0.2	0.5	3.8	1.1	2.7
New Jersey	1,795	99	41	58	2.4	2.6	2.4	2.7	5.5	2.3	3.2
New Mexico	459	20	6	14	0.6	0.5	0.4	0.7	4.4	1.3	3.1
New York	3,930	199	91	108	5.3	5.2	5.4	5.0	5.1	2.3	2.7
North Carolina	2,055	140	65	75	2.8	3.7	3.9	3.5	6.8	3.2	3.6
North Dakota	208	11	6	5	0.3	0.3	0.4	0.2	5.3	2.9	2.4
Ohio	3,224	150	27	123	4.4	3.9	1.6	5.7	4.7	0.8	3.8
Oklahoma	828	56	36	20	1.1	1.5	2.1	0.9	6.8	4.3	2.4
Oregon	1,010	12	4	8	1.4	0.3	0.2	0.4	1.2	0.4	0.8
Pennsylvania	3,400	193	97	96	4.6	5.0	5.8	4.5	5.7	2.9	2.8
Rhode Island	289	11	3	8	0.4	0.3	0.2	0.4	3.8	1.0	2.8
South Carolina	1,078	79	42	37	1.5	2.1	2.5	1.7	7.3	3.9	3.4
South Dakota	253	13	7	6	0.3	0.3	0.4	0.3	5.1	2.8	2.4
Tennessee	1,455	101	48	53	2.0	2.6	2.9	2.5	6.9	3.3	3.6
Texas	5,896	473	259	214	8.0	12.4	15.4	9.9	8.0	4.4	3.6
Utah	765	35	15	20	1.0	0.9	0.9	0.9	4.6	2.0	2.6
Vermont	182	4	1	3	0.2	0.1	0.1	0.1	2.2	0.5	1.6
Virginia	1,697	121	57	64	2.3	3.2	3.4	3.0	7.1	3.4	3.8
Washington	1,686	31	6	25	2.3	0.8	0.4	1.2	1.8	0.4	1.5
West Virginia	462	34	20	14	0.6	0.9	1.2	0.7	7.4	4.3	3.0
Wisconsin	1,711	78	32	46	2.3	2.0	1.9	2.1	4.6	1.9	2.7
Wyoming	167	10	5	5	0.2	0.3	0.3	0.2	6.0	3.0	3.0

NOTE: Data exclude all self-employed persons whether or not their businesses are incorporated. Users are reminded that these data are based on a sample and are therefore subject to sampling error; the degree of error may be quite large for less populous States. It is not possible to determine whether workers surveyed in the CPS are actually covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) or by individual State minimum wage laws. Thus, some workers reported as earning the prevailing Federal minimum wage may not in fact be covered by Federal or State minimum wage laws. Also, there are a number of States that have minimum wages that exceed the Federal minimum wage. At the same time, the presence of a sizable number of workers with wages below the prevailing Federal minimum wage does not necessarily indicate violations of the FLSA or applicable State laws, because there are numerous exclusions and exemptions to these minimum wage statutes. Hourly earnings do not include overtime pay, commissions, or tips.

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Table 4. Employed wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing Federal minimum wage by occupation, 2011 annual averages

Occupation	Number of workers (in thousands)				Percent distribution				Percent of workers paid hourly rates
	Total paid hourly rates	At or below minimum wage			Total paid hourly rates	At or below minimum wage			At or below minimum wage
		Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage		Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage
Total, 16 years and over	73,926	3,829	1,677	2,152	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	5.2	2.3	2.9
Management, professional, and related occupations	15,524	195	89	106	21.0	5.1	5.3	4.9	1.3	0.6	0.7
Management, business, and financial operations occupations	4,300	48	11	37	5.8	1.3	0.7	1.7	1.1	0.3	0.9
Professional and related occupations	11,224	147	78	69	15.2	3.8	4.7	3.2	1.3	0.7	0.6
Service occupations	17,800	2,322	742	1,580	24.1	60.6	44.2	73.4	13.0	4.2	8.9
Healthcare support occupations	2,700	98	52	46	3.7	2.6	3.1	2.1	3.6	1.9	1.7
Protective service occupations	2,028	61	22	39	2.7	1.6	1.3	1.8	3.0	1.1	1.9
Food preparation and serving related occupations	6,710	1,653	422	1,231	9.1	43.2	25.2	57.2	24.6	6.3	18.3
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations	3,618	211	111	100	4.9	5.5	6.6	4.6	5.8	3.1	2.8
Personal care and service occupations	2,745	299	135	164	3.7	7.8	8.1	7.6	10.9	4.9	6.0
Sales and office occupations	19,987	856	617	239	27.0	22.4	36.8	11.1	4.3	3.1	1.2
Sales and related occupations	7,813	600	441	159	10.6	15.7	26.3	7.4	7.7	5.6	2.0
Office and administrative support occupations	12,174	257	177	80	16.5	6.7	10.6	3.7	2.1	1.5	0.7
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations	8,221	96	48	48	11.1	2.5	2.9	2.2	1.2	0.6	0.6
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations	675	42	24	18	0.9	1.1	1.4	0.8	6.2	3.6	2.7
Construction and extraction occupations	4,332	28	13	15	5.9	0.7	0.8	0.7	0.6	0.3	0.3
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	3,214	26	11	15	4.3	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.8	0.3	0.5
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations	12,394	360	181	179	16.8	9.4	10.8	8.3	2.9	1.5	1.4
Production occupations	6,485	100	53	47	8.8	2.6	3.2	2.2	1.5	0.8	0.7
Transportation and material moving occupations	5,909	260	128	132	8.0	6.8	7.6	6.1	4.4	2.2	2.2

NOTE: Data exclude all self-employed persons whether or not their businesses are incorporated. Effective with January 2011 data, occupations reflect the introduction of the 2010 Census occupational classification system into the Current Population Survey, or household survey. This classification system is derived from the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC). No historical data have been revised. Data for 2011 are not strictly comparable with earlier years.

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Table 5. Employed wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing Federal minimum wage by industry, 2011 annual averages

Industry	Number of workers (in thousands)				Percent distribution				Percent of workers paid hourly rates
	Total paid hourly rates	At or below minimum wage			Total paid hourly rates	At or below minimum wage			At or below minimum wage
		Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage		Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage
Total, 16 years and over	73,926	3,829	1,677	2,152	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	5.2	2.3	2.9
Private sector	64,525	3,625	1,577	2,048	87.3	94.7	94.0	95.2	5.6	2.4	3.2
Agriculture and related industries	775	41	20	21	1.0	1.1	1.2	1.0	5.3	2.6	2.7
Nonagricultural industries	63,750	3,584	1,557	2,027	86.2	93.6	92.8	94.2	5.6	2.4	3.2
Mining	489	3	2	1	0.7	0.1	0.1	0.0	0.6	0.4	0.2
Construction	4,304	41	15	26	5.8	1.1	0.9	1.2	1.0	0.3	0.6
Manufacturing	8,556	91	47	44	11.6	2.4	2.8	2.0	1.1	0.5	0.5
Durable goods	5,264	41	18	23	7.1	1.1	1.1	1.1	0.8	0.3	0.4
Nondurable goods	3,292	50	29	21	4.5	1.3	1.7	1.0	1.5	0.9	0.6
Wholesale and retail trade	12,423	669	463	206	16.8	17.5	27.6	9.6	5.4	3.7	1.7
Wholesale trade	1,689	27	17	10	2.3	0.7	1.0	0.5	1.6	1.0	0.6
Retail trade	10,734	642	446	196	14.5	16.8	26.6	9.1	6.0	4.2	1.8
Transportation and utilities	3,069	46	22	24	4.2	1.2	1.3	1.1	1.5	0.7	0.8
Information	1,273	36	18	18	1.7	0.9	1.1	0.8	2.8	1.4	1.4
Financial activities	3,228	40	25	15	4.4	1.0	1.5	0.7	1.2	0.8	0.5
Professional and business services	5,857	157	85	72	7.9	4.1	5.1	3.3	2.7	1.5	1.2
Education and health services	12,636	355	185	170	17.1	9.3	11.0	7.9	2.8	1.5	1.3
Leisure and hospitality	8,943	1,963	610	1,353	12.1	51.3	36.4	62.9	22.0	6.8	15.1
Other services	2,970	183	86	97	4.0	4.8	5.1	4.5	6.2	2.9	3.3
Public sector	9,401	204	100	104	12.7	5.3	6.0	4.8	2.2	1.1	1.1
Federal	1,770	20	12	8	2.4	0.5	0.7	0.4	1.1	0.7	0.5
State	2,604	65	37	28	3.5	1.7	2.2	1.3	2.5	1.4	1.1
Local	5,026	119	50	69	6.8	3.1	3.0	3.2	2.4	1.0	1.4

NOTE: Data exclude all self-employed persons whether or not their businesses are incorporated.

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Table 6. Employed wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing Federal minimum wage by educational attainment, 2011 annual averages

Educational attainment	Number of workers (in thousands)				Percent distribution				Percent of workers paid hourly rates
	Total paid hourly rates	At or below minimum wage			Total paid hourly rates	At or below minimum wage			At or below minimum wage
		Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage		Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage
Total, 16 years and over	73,926	3,829	1,677	2,152	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	5.2	2.3	2.9
Less than a high school diploma	9,562	1,061	582	479	12.9	27.7	34.7	22.3	11.1	6.1	5.0
Less than 1 year of high school	2,794	182	95	87	3.8	4.8	5.7	4.0	6.5	3.4	3.1
1 to 3 years of high school	5,631	773	427	346	7.6	20.2	25.5	16.1	13.7	7.6	6.1
4 years of high school, no diploma	1,137	106	60	46	1.5	2.8	3.6	2.1	9.3	5.3	4.0
High school graduates or more	64,364	2,767	1,094	1,673	87.1	72.3	65.2	77.7	4.3	1.7	2.6
High school graduates, no college	25,710	1,179	532	647	34.8	30.8	31.7	30.1	4.6	2.1	2.5
Some college or associate degree	25,858	1,309	500	809	35.0	34.2	29.8	37.6	5.1	1.9	3.1
Some college, no degree	17,178	1,057	422	635	23.2	27.6	25.2	29.5	6.2	2.5	3.7
Associate degree	8,680	253	79	174	11.7	6.6	4.7	8.1	2.9	0.9	2.0
Occupational program	4,021	93	35	58	5.4	2.4	2.1	2.7	2.3	0.9	1.4
Academic program	4,659	158	43	115	6.3	4.1	2.6	5.3	3.4	0.9	2.5
Bachelor's degree and higher	12,796	279	62	217	17.3	7.3	3.7	10.1	2.2	0.5	1.7
Bachelor's degree	9,984	248	55	193	13.5	6.5	3.3	9.0	2.5	0.6	1.9
Master's degree	2,230	24	6	18	3.0	0.6	0.4	0.8	1.1	0.3	0.8
Professional degree	293	6	-	6	0.4	0.2	-	0.3	2.0	-	2.0
Doctoral degree	289	1	1	-	0.4	0.0	0.1	-	0.3	0.3	-

NOTE: Data exclude all self-employed persons whether or not their businesses are incorporated. Dash indicates no data or data that do not meet publication criteria.

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Table 7. Employed wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing Federal minimum wage by age and sex, 2011 annual averages

Age and sex	Number of workers (in thousands)				Percent distribution				Percent of workers paid hourly rates
	Total paid hourly rates	At or below minimum wage			Total paid hourly rates	At or below minimum wage			At or below minimum wage
		Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage		Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage
BOTH SEXES
Total, 16 years and over	73,926	3,829	1,677	2,152	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	5.2	2.3	2.9
Under 25 years	14,436	1,896	893	1,003	19.5	49.5	53.2	46.6	13.1	6.2	6.9
16 to 19 years	3,936	899	491	408	5.3	23.5	29.3	19.0	22.8	12.5	10.4
20 to 24 years	10,501	997	402	595	14.2	26.0	24.0	27.6	9.5	3.8	5.7
25 years and over	59,490	1,933	784	1,149	80.5	50.5	46.8	53.4	3.2	1.3	1.9
25 to 34 years	17,155	808	299	509	23.2	21.1	17.8	23.7	4.7	1.7	3.0
25 to 29 years	9,229	460	170	290	12.5	12.0	10.1	13.5	5.0	1.8	3.1
30 to 34 years	7,926	348	129	219	10.7	9.1	7.7	10.2	4.4	1.6	2.8
35 to 44 years	14,168	399	161	238	19.2	10.4	9.6	11.1	2.8	1.1	1.7
35 to 39 years	6,889	205	75	130	9.3	5.4	4.5	6.0	3.0	1.1	1.9
40 to 44 years	7,279	194	86	108	9.8	5.1	5.1	5.0	2.7	1.2	1.5
45 to 54 years	15,331	382	159	223	20.7	10.0	9.5	10.4	2.5	1.0	1.5
45 to 49 years	7,793	208	82	126	10.5	5.4	4.9	5.9	2.7	1.1	1.6
50 to 54 years	7,537	175	78	97	10.2	4.6	4.7	4.5	2.3	1.0	1.3
55 to 64 years	10,046	221	117	104	13.6	5.8	7.0	4.8	2.2	1.2	1.0
55 to 59 years	6,135	123	66	57	8.3	3.2	3.9	2.6	2.0	1.1	0.9
60 to 64 years	3,911	98	51	47	5.3	2.6	3.0	2.2	2.5	1.3	1.2
65 years and over	2,790	123	48	75	3.8	3.2	2.9	3.5	4.4	1.7	2.7
65 to 69 years	1,569	68	27	41	2.1	1.8	1.6	1.9	4.3	1.7	2.6
70 years and over	1,220	55	21	34	1.7	1.4	1.3	1.6	4.5	1.7	2.8
MEN
Total, 16 years and over	36,457	1,433	648	785	49.3	37.4	38.6	36.5	3.9	1.8	2.2
Under 25 years	7,290	787	388	399	9.9	20.6	23.1	18.5	10.8	5.3	5.5
16 to 19 years	1,872	373	212	161	2.5	9.7	12.6	7.5	19.9	11.3	8.6
20 to 24 years	5,418	413	175	238	7.3	10.8	10.4	11.1	7.6	3.2	4.4
25 years and over	29,167	647	260	387	39.5	16.9	15.5	18.0	2.2	0.9	1.3
25 to 34 years	9,132	278	96	182	12.4	7.3	5.7	8.5	3.0	1.1	2.0
25 to 29 years	4,893	157	53	104	6.6	4.1	3.2	4.8	3.2	1.1	2.1
30 to 34 years	4,238	122	43	79	5.7	3.2	2.6	3.7	2.9	1.0	1.9
35 to 44 years	7,036	142	56	86	9.5	3.7	3.3	4.0	2.0	0.8	1.2
35 to 39 years	3,471	74	26	48	4.7	1.9	1.6	2.2	2.1	0.7	1.4
40 to 44 years	3,565	67	30	37	4.8	1.7	1.8	1.7	1.9	0.8	1.0
45 to 54 years	7,167	113	55	58	9.7	3.0	3.3	2.7	1.6	0.8	0.8
45 to 49 years	3,689	61	30	31	5.0	1.6	1.8	1.4	1.7	0.8	0.8
50 to 54 years	3,477	51	24	27	4.7	1.3	1.4	1.3	1.5	0.7	0.8
55 to 64 years	4,491	72	36	36	6.1	1.9	2.1	1.7	1.6	0.8	0.8
55 to 59 years	2,814	42	23	19	3.8	1.1	1.4	0.9	1.5	0.8	0.7
60 to 64 years	1,677	30	13	17	2.3	0.8	0.8	0.8	1.8	0.8	1.0
65 years and over	1,341	42	17	25	1.8	1.1	1.0	1.2	3.1	1.3	1.9
65 to 69 years	754	21	10	11	1.0	0.5	0.6	0.5	2.8	1.3	1.5
70 years and over	587	22	7	15	0.8	0.6	0.4	0.7	3.7	1.2	2.6
WOMEN
Total, 16 years and over	37,469	2,395	1,029	1,366	50.7	62.5	61.4	63.5	6.4	2.7	3.6
Under 25 years	7,147	1,109	505	604	9.7	29.0	30.1	28.1	15.5	7.1	8.5
16 to 19 years	2,064	526	279	247	2.8	13.7	16.6	11.5	25.5	13.5	12.0
20 to 24 years	5,083	583	226	357	6.9	15.2	13.5	16.6	11.5	4.4	7.0
25 years and over	30,323	1,286	524	762	41.0	33.6	31.2	35.4	4.2	1.7	2.5
25 to 34 years	8,024	528	202	326	10.9	13.8	12.0	15.1	6.6	2.5	4.1
25 to 29 years	4,336	303	117	186	5.9	7.9	7.0	8.6	7.0	2.7	4.3
30 to 34 years	3,688	225	85	140	5.0	5.9	5.1	6.5	6.1	2.3	3.8
35 to 44 years	7,132	257	105	152	9.6	6.7	6.3	7.1	3.6	1.5	2.1
35 to 39 years	3,418	131	49	82	4.6	3.4	2.9	3.8	3.8	1.4	2.4
40 to 44 years	3,714	126	56	70	5.0	3.3	3.3	3.3	3.4	1.5	1.9
45 to 54 years	8,164	270	105	165	11.0	7.1	6.3	7.7	3.3	1.3	2.0
45 to 49 years	4,104	146	51	95	5.6	3.8	3.0	4.4	3.6	1.2	2.3
50 to 54 years	4,060	123	53	70	5.5	3.2	3.2	3.3	3.0	1.3	1.7
55 to 64 years	5,555	150	81	69	7.5	3.9	4.8	3.2	2.7	1.5	1.2
55 to 59 years	3,321	80	42	38	4.5	2.1	2.5	1.8	2.4	1.3	1.1
60 to 64 years	2,233	68	38	30	3.0	1.8	2.3	1.4	3.0	1.7	1.3
65 years and over	1,448	81	31	50	2.0	2.1	1.8	2.3	5.6	2.1	3.5
65 to 69 years	815	46	16	30	1.1	1.2	1.0	1.4	5.6	2.0	3.7
70 years and over	633	33	14	19	0.9	0.9	0.8	0.9	5.2	2.2	3.0

NOTE: Data exclude all self-employed persons whether or not their businesses are incorporated.

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Table 8. Employed wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing Federal minimum wage by marital status, age, and sex, 2011 annual averages

Marital status, age and sex	Number of workers (in thousands)				Percent distribution				Percent of workers paid hourly rates
	Total paid hourly rates	At or below minimum wage			Total paid hourly rates	At or below minimum wage			At or below minimum wage
		Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage		Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage
BOTH SEXES
Total, 16 years and over	73,926	3,829	1,677	2,152	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	5.2	2.3	2.9
Never married	26,703	2,462	1,097	1,365	36.1	64.3	65.4	63.4	9.2	4.1	5.1
16 to 24 years	12,847	1,751	835	916	17.4	45.7	49.8	42.6	13.6	6.5	7.1
25 years and over	13,855	711	262	449	18.7	18.6	15.6	20.9	5.1	1.9	3.2
25 to 54 years	12,827	660	239	421	17.4	17.2	14.3	19.6	5.1	1.9	3.3
Married, spouse present	34,624	836	358	478	46.8	21.8	21.3	22.2	2.4	1.0	1.4
16 to 24 years	1,143	89	40	49	1.5	2.3	2.4	2.3	7.8	3.5	4.3
25 years and over	33,481	748	318	430	45.3	19.5	19.0	20.0	2.2	0.9	1.3
25 to 54 years	25,347	605	252	353	34.3	15.8	15.0	16.4	2.4	1.0	1.4
Other marital status	12,599	531	222	309	17.0	13.9	13.2	14.4	4.2	1.8	2.5
16 to 24 years	446	56	18	38	0.6	1.5	1.1	1.8	12.6	4.0	8.5
25 years and over	12,153	475	204	271	16.4	12.4	12.2	12.6	3.9	1.7	2.2
25 to 54 years	8,481	324	128	196	11.5	8.5	7.6	9.1	3.8	1.5	2.3
MEN
Total, 16 years and over	36,457	1,433	648	785	49.3	37.4	38.6	36.5	3.9	1.8	2.2
Never married	14,132	1,019	457	562	19.1	26.6	27.3	26.1	7.2	3.2	4.0
16 to 24 years	6,575	734	363	371	8.9	19.2	21.6	17.2	11.2	5.5	5.6
25 years and over	7,557	285	94	191	10.2	7.4	5.6	8.9	3.8	1.2	2.5
25 to 54 years	7,072	262	85	177	9.6	6.8	5.1	8.2	3.7	1.2	2.5
Married, spouse present	17,462	279	131	148	23.6	7.3	7.8	6.9	1.6	0.8	0.8
16 to 24 years	518	33	16	17	0.7	0.9	1.0	0.8	6.4	3.1	3.3
25 years and over	16,944	245	115	130	22.9	6.4	6.9	6.0	1.4	0.7	0.8
25 to 54 years	12,765	188	85	103	17.3	4.9	5.1	4.8	1.5	0.7	0.8
Other marital status	4,864	137	61	76	6.6	3.6	3.6	3.5	2.8	1.3	1.6
16 to 24 years	197	20	9	11	0.3	0.5	0.5	0.5	10.2	4.6	5.6
25 years and over	4,666	116	51	65	6.3	3.0	3.0	3.0	2.5	1.1	1.4
25 to 54 years	3,497	82	36	46	4.7	2.1	2.1	2.1	2.3	1.0	1.3
WOMEN
Total, 16 years and over	37,469	2,395	1,029	1,366	50.7	62.5	61.4	63.5	6.4	2.7	3.6
Never married	12,571	1,444	641	803	17.0	37.7	38.2	37.3	11.5	5.1	6.4
16 to 24 years	6,273	1,018	473	545	8.5	26.6	28.2	25.3	16.2	7.5	8.7
25 years and over	6,298	426	168	258	8.5	11.1	10.0	12.0	6.8	2.7	4.1
25 to 54 years	5,754	399	154	245	7.8	10.4	9.2	11.4	6.9	2.7	4.3
Married, spouse present	17,162	557	227	330	23.2	14.5	13.5	15.3	3.2	1.3	1.9
16 to 24 years	625	55	24	31	0.8	1.4	1.4	1.4	8.8	3.8	5.0
25 years and over	16,537	502	203	299	22.4	13.1	12.1	13.9	3.0	1.2	1.8
25 to 54 years	12,582	415	166	249	17.0	10.8	9.9	11.6	3.3	1.3	2.0
Other marital status	7,736	394	161	233	10.5	10.3	9.6	10.8	5.1	2.1	3.0
16 to 24 years	249	37	9	28	0.3	1.0	0.5	1.3	14.9	3.6	11.2
25 years and over	7,487	357	152	205	10.1	9.3	9.1	9.5	4.8	2.0	2.7
25 to 54 years	4,983	242	92	150	6.7	6.3	5.5	7.0	4.9	1.8	3.0

NOTE: Data exclude all self-employed persons whether or not their businesses are incorporated. Other marital status includes married, spouse absent; divorced; separated; and widowed persons.

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Table 9. Employed wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing Federal minimum wage by usual hours worked on primary job, 2011 annual averages

Usual hours worked per week on primary job	Number of workers (in thousands)				Percent distribution				Percent of workers paid hourly rates
	Total paid hourly rates	At or below minimum wage			Total paid hourly rates	At or below minimum wage			At or below minimum wage
		Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage		Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage
Total, 16 years and over	73,926	3,829	1,677	2,152	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	5.2	2.3	2.9
Hours vary	4,962	491	198	293	6.7	12.8	11.8	13.6	9.9	4.0	5.9
0 to 34 hours	18,127	2,251	1,029	1,222	24.5	58.8	61.4	56.8	12.4	5.7	6.7
0 to 4 hours	411	59	22	37	0.6	1.5	1.3	1.7	14.4	5.4	9.0
5 to 9 hours	992	146	63	83	1.3	3.8	3.8	3.9	14.7	6.4	8.4
10 to 14 hours	1,550	211	128	83	2.1	5.5	7.6	3.9	13.6	8.3	5.4
15 to 19 hours	2,284	363	184	179	3.1	9.5	11.0	8.3	15.9	8.1	7.8
20 to 24 hours	5,272	673	337	336	7.1	17.6	20.1	15.6	12.8	6.4	6.4
25 to 29 hours	2,610	314	121	193	3.5	8.2	7.2	9.0	12.0	4.6	7.4
30 to 34 hours	5,006	484	173	311	6.8	12.6	10.3	14.5	9.7	3.5	6.2
35 hours or more	50,837	1,087	450	637	68.8	28.4	26.8	29.6	2.1	0.9	1.3
35 to 39 hours	6,050	343	134	209	8.2	9.0	8.0	9.7	5.7	2.2	3.5
40 hours or more	44,787	743	316	427	60.6	19.4	18.8	19.8	1.7	0.7	1.0
40 hours	39,231	653	286	367	53.1	17.1	17.1	17.1	1.7	0.7	0.9
41 hours or more	5,557	90	30	60	7.5	2.4	1.8	2.8	1.6	0.5	1.1
41 to 44 hours	659	12	3	9	0.9	0.3	0.2	0.4	1.8	0.5	1.4
45 to 48 hours	1,885	31	9	22	2.5	0.8	0.5	1.0	1.6	0.5	1.2
49 to 59 hours	2,038	26	6	20	2.8	0.7	0.4	0.9	1.3	0.3	1.0
60 hours or more	975	20	11	9	1.3	0.5	0.7	0.4	2.1	1.1	0.9

NOTE: Data exclude all self-employed persons 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.

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Table 10. Employed wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing Federal minimum wage by sex, 1979-2011 annual averages (Numbers in thousands)

Year and sex	Total wage and salary workers	Workers paid hourly rates
		Total	Percent of total wage and salary workers	Below prevailing Federal minimum wage	At prevailing Federal minimum wage	Total at or below prevailing Federal minimum wage
						Number	Percent of hourly paid workers
BOTH SEXES
1979	87,529	51,721	59.1	2,916	3,997	6,912	13.4
1980	87,644	51,335	58.6	3,087	4,686	7,773	15.1
1981	88,516	51,869	58.6	3,513	4,311	7,824	15.1
1982	87,368	50,846	58.2	2,348	4,148	6,496	12.8
1983	88,290	51,820	58.7	2,077	4,261	6,338	12.2
1984	92,194	54,143	58.7	1,838	4,125	5,963	11.0
1985	94,521	55,762	59.0	1,639	3,899	5,538	9.9
1986 (1)	96,903	57,529	59.4	1,599	3,461	5,060	8.8
1987	99,303	59,552	60.0	1,468	3,229	4,698	7.9
1988	101,407	60,878	60.0	1,319	2,608	3,927	6.5
1989	103,480	62,389	60.3	1,372	1,790	3,162	5.1
1990 (1)	104,876	63,172	60.2	(2)2,132	(2)1,096	(2)3,228	(2)5.1
1991	103,723	62,627	60.4	(2)2,377	(2)2,906	(2)5,283	(2)8.4
1992	104,668	63,610	60.8	1,939	2,982	4,921	7.7
1993	106,101	64,274	60.6	1,707	2,625	4,332	6.7
1994 (1)	107,989	66,549	61.6	1,995	2,132	4,128	6.2
1995	110,038	68,354	62.1	1,699	1,956	3,656	5.3
1996	111,960	69,255	61.9	(2)1,863	(2)1,861	(2)3,724	(2)5.4
1997 (1)	114,533	70,735	61.8	(2)2,990	(2)1,764	(2)4,754	(2)6.7
1998 (1)	116,730	71,440	61.2	2,834	1,593	4,427	6.2
1999 (1)	118,963	72,306	60.8	2,194	1,146	3,340	4.6
2000 (1)	122,089	73,496	60.2	1,752	898	2,650	3.6
2001	122,229	73,392	60.0	1,518	656	2,174	3.0
2002	121,826	72,508	59.5	1,579	567	2,146	3.0
2003 (1)	122,358	72,946	59.6	1,555	545	2,100	2.9
2004 (1)	123,554	73,939	59.8	1,483	520	2,003	2.7
2005	125,889	75,609	60.1	1,403	479	1,882	2.5
2006	128,237	76,514	59.7	1,283	409	1,692	2.2
2007	129,767	75,873	58.5	(2)1,462	(2)267	(2)1,729	(2)2.3
2008 (1)	129,377	75,305	58.2	(2)1,940	(2)286	(2)2,226	(2)3.0
2009 (1)	124,490	72,611	58.3	(2)2,592	(2)980	(2)3,572	(2)4.9
2010	124,073	72,902	58.8	2,541	1,820	4,361	6.0
2011	125,187	73,926	59.1	2,152	1,677	3,829	5.2
MEN
1979	49,400	28,392	57.5	846	1,353	2,199	7.7
1980	48,700	27,709	56.9	983	1,696	2,678	9.7
1981	48,844	27,576	56.5	1,119	1,533	2,652	9.6
1982	47,591	26,481	55.6	697	1,587	2,284	8.6
1983	47,856	26,831	56.1	585	1,658	2,243	8.4
1984	50,022	28,140	56.3	490	1,626	2,116	7.5
1985	51,015	28,893	56.6	440	1,544	1,984	6.9
1986 (1)	51,942	29,666	57.1	408	1,336	1,743	5.9
1987	52,938	30,474	57.6	364	1,283	1,647	5.4
1988	53,912	31,058	57.6	311	1,066	1,377	4.4
1989	54,789	31,687	57.8	379	733	1,112	3.5
1990 (1)	55,553	32,104	57.8	(2)712	(2)385	(2)1,097	(2)3.4
1991	54,618	31,639	57.9	(2)795	(2)1,114	(2)1,909	(2)6.0
1992	54,826	32,155	58.6	653	1,231	1,885	5.9
1993	55,475	32,337	58.3	573	1,091	1,664	5.1
1994 (1)	56,570	33,528	59.3	674	891	1,565	4.7
1995	57,669	34,420	59.7	542	796	1,338	3.9
1996	58,473	34,838	59.6	(2)619	(2)755	(2)1,374	(2)3.9
1997 (1)	59,825	35,521	59.4	(2)1,147	(2)673	(2)1,820	(2)5.1
1998 (1)	60,973	35,761	58.7	1,039	628	1,667	4.7
1999 (1)	61,914	36,073	58.3	768	446	1,214	3.4
2000 (1)	63,662	36,720	57.7	582	319	901	2.5
2001	63,647	36,544	57.4	497	247	744	2.0
2002	63,272	36,000	56.9	582	217	799	2.2
2003 (1)	63,236	35,853	56.7	493	213	706	2.0
2004 (1)	64,145	36,806	57.4	470	210	680	1.8
2005	65,466	37,652	57.5	459	189	648	1.7
2006	66,811	38,193	57.2	422	146	568	1.5
2007	67,468	37,790	56.0	(2)460	(2)86	(2)546	(2)1.4
2008 (1)	66,846	37,334	55.9	(2)638	(2)90	(2)728	(2)1.9
2009 (1)	63,539	35,185	55.4	(2)990	(2)368	(2)1,358	(2)3.9
2010	63,531	35,498	55.9	943	669	1,612	4.5
2011	64,686	36,457	56.4	785	648	1,433	3.9
WOMEN
1979	38,129	23,329	61.2	2,070	2,644	4,714	20.2
1980	38,944	23,626	60.7	2,104	2,990	5,095	21.6
1981	39,672	24,294	61.2	2,394	2,778	5,172	21.3
1982	39,777	24,365	61.3	1,651	2,561	4,212	17.3
1983	40,433	24,989	61.8	1,492	2,603	4,095	16.4
1984	42,172	26,003	61.7	1,348	2,499	3,847	14.8
1985	43,506	26,869	61.8	1,198	2,356	3,554	13.2
1986 (1)	44,961	27,863	62.0	1,192	2,125	3,317	11.9
1987	46,365	29,078	62.7	1,105	1,946	3,051	10.5
1988	47,495	29,820	62.8	1,008	1,542	2,550	8.6
1989	48,691	30,702	63.1	994	1,056	2,050	6.7
1990 (1)	49,323	31,069	63.0	(2)1,420	(2)711	(2)2,131	(2)6.9
1991	49,105	30,988	63.1	(2)1,582	(2)1,792	(2)3,374	(2)10.9
1992	49,842	31,454	63.1	1,286	1,751	3,036	9.7
1993	50,626	31,937	63.1	1,133	1,534	2,667	8.4
1994 (1)	51,419	33,021	64.2	1,322	1,241	2,563	7.8
1995	52,369	33,934	64.8	1,157	1,161	2,318	6.8
1996	53,488	34,418	64.3	(2)1,244	(2)1,106	(2)2,350	(2)6.8
1997 (1)	54,708	35,214	64.4	(2)1,843	(2)1,092	(2)2,935	(2)8.3
1998 (1)	55,757	35,680	64.0	1,794	965	2,760	7.7
1999 (1)	57,050	36,233	63.5	1,426	700	2,126	5.9
2000 (1)	58,427	36,777	62.9	1,170	579	1,749	4.8
2001	58,582	36,848	62.9	1,021	409	1,430	3.9
2002	58,555	36,508	62.3	997	350	1,347	3.7
2003 (1)	59,122	37,093	62.7	1,062	332	1,394	3.8
2004 (1)	59,408	37,133	62.5	1,013	310	1,323	3.6
2005	60,423	37,957	62.8	944	290	1,234	3.3
2006	61,426	38,321	62.4	861	263	1,124	2.9
2007	62,299	38,082	61.1	(2)1,002	(2)181	(2)1,183	(2)3.1
2008 (1)	62,532	37,972	60.7	(2)1,302	(2)196	(2)1,498	(2)3.9
2009 (1)	60,951	37,426	61.4	(2)1,603	(2)612	(2)2,215	(2)5.9
2010	60,542	37,404	61.8	1,598	1,151	2,749	7.3
2011	60,502	37,469	61.9	1,366	1,029	2,395	6.4
Footnotes: (1) The comparability of historical labor force data has been affected at various times by methodological and conceptual changes in the Current Population Survey (CPS). For an explanation, see the Historical Comparability section of the Household Data technical documentation provided at www.bls.gov/cps/documentation.htm#comp. (2) Data for 1990-91, 1996-97, and 2007-09 reflect changes in the minimum wage that took place in those years.

NOTE: The prevailing Federal minimum wage was $2.90 in 1979, $3.10 in 1980, and $3.35 in 1981-89. The minimum wage rose to $3.80 on April 1, 1990, to $4.25 on April 1, 1991, to $4.75 on October 1, 1996, to $5.15 on September 1, 1997, to $5.85 on July 24, 2007, to $6.55 on July 24, 2008, and to $7.25 on July 24, 2009. Data exclude all self-employed persons whether or not their businesses are incorporated. The presence of a sizable number of workers with reported wages below the minimum does not necessarily indicate violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act, as there are numerous exemptions to the minimum wage provisions of the law. In addition, the relatively large number of workers with reported wages below the minimum in some years may reflect rounding on the part of survey respondents.

 

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Characteristics of Minimum Wage Workers: 2011

 

Last Modified Date: March 2, 2012