April 2017 Report 1067

Characteristics of minimum wage workers, 2016

In 2016, 79.9 million workers age 16 and older in the United States were paid at hourly rates, representing 58.7 percent of all wage and salary workers. Among those paid by the hour, 701,000 workers earned exactly the prevailing federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. About 1.5 million had wages below the federal minimum. Together, these 2.2 million workers with wages at or below the federal minimum made up 2.7 percent of all hourly paid workers.

The percentage of hourly paid workers earning the prevailing federal minimum wage or less declined from 3.3 percent in 2015 to 2.7 percent in 2016. This remains well below the percentage of 13.4 recorded in 1979, when data 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 2016. 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.

Highlights

The following are highlights from the 2016 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 10 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 2016, about 3 percent of women and about 2 percent of men had wages at or below the prevailing federal minimum. (See table 1.)

Race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. The percentage of hourly paid workers with wages at or below the federal minimum differed little among the major race and ethnicity groups. About 3 percent of White and Black workers earned the federal minimum wage or less. Among Asian and Hispanic workers, the percentage was about 2 percent. (See table 1.)

Education. Among hourly paid workers age 16 and older, about 5 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 (1 percent) to earn the federal minimum wage or less. (See table 8.)

Full- and part-time status. About 6 percent of part-time workers (persons who usually work fewer than 35 hours per week) were paid the federal minimum wage or less, compared with about 2 percent of full-time workers. (See table 1.)

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 7 percent. Two-thirds of workers earning the minimum wage or less in 2016 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 (about 13 percent). Three-fifths of all workers paid at or below the federal minimum wage were employed in this industry, almost entirely in restaurants and other food services. For many of these workers, tips may supplement the hourly wages received. (See table 4.)

State of residence. The states with the highest percentages of hourly paid workers earning at or below the federal minimum wage were Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina (all were at or about 5 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, and Oregon (all were 1 percent or less). It should be noted that many states have minimum wage laws establishing standards that exceed 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, 2016 annual averages
Characteristic	Number of workers (in thousands)				Percent distribution				Percentage of workers paid
	Total paid hourly rates	At or below the minimum wage			Total paid hourly rates	At or below minimum wage			At or below the minimum age
	Total paid hourly rates	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage	Total paid hourly rates	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage
Age and gender
Total, 16 years and older	79, 883	2,153	701	1,451	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	2.7	0.9	1.8
16 to 24 years	15,856	976	383	594	19.8	45.4	54.5	40.9	6.2	2.4	3.7
16 to 19 years	4,592	443	214	229	5.7	20.6	30.5	15.8	9.7	4.7	5.0
25 years and older	64,026	1,176	319	857	80.2	54.6	45.5	59.1	1.8	0.5	1.3
Men, 16 years and older	39,568	769	270	499	49.5	35.7	38.4	34.4	1.9	0.7	1.3
16 to 24 years	7,967	357	147	210	10.0	16.6	21.0	14.5	4.5	1.8	2.6
16 to 19 years	2,278	183	87	96	2.9	8.5	12.3	6.6	8.0	3.8	4.2
25 years and older	30,601	412	122	289	39.6	19.1	17.5	19.9	1.3	0.4	0.9
Women, 16 years and older	40, 315	1,384	432	952	50.5	64.3	61.6	65.6	3.4	1.1	2.4
16 to 24 years	7,890	619	235	384	9.9	28.8	33.6	26.5	7.8	3.0	4.9
16 to 19 years	2,314	260	127	133	2.9	12.1	18.1	9.2	11.3	5.5	5.8
25 years and older	32,425	764	196	568	40.6	35.5	28.0	39.1	2.4	0.6	1.8
Race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity
White⁽¹⁾	61,080	1,597	469	1,127	76.5	74.2	66.9	77.7	2.6	0.8	1.8
Men	30,823	554	190	364	38.6	25.7	27.1	25.1	1.8	0.6	1.2
Women	30,256	1,043	280	763	37.9	48.5	39.9	52.6	3.4	0.9	2.5
Black or African American⁽¹⁾	11,681	390	193	197	14.6	18.1	27.5	13.5	3.3	1.7	1.7
Men	5,297	156	62	93	6.6	7.2	8.9	6.4	2.9	1.2	1.8
Women	6,385	234	131	103	8.0	10.9	18.7	7.1	3.7	2.1	1.6
Asian⁽¹⁾	3,692	96	21	75	5.0	4.5	3.0	5.2	2.4	0.5	1.9
Men	1,841	35	10	25	2.3	1.6	1.4	1.7	1.9	0.5	1.4
Women	2,121	61	11	50	2.7	2.8	1.6	3.4	2.9	0.5	2.3
Hispanic or Latino⁽¹⁾	16,241	366	103	264	20.3	17.0	14.6	18.2	2.3	0.6	1.6
Men	9,044	137	44	93	11.3	6.4	6.3	6.4	1.5	0.5	1.0
Women	7,197	229	59	171	9.0	10.6	8.4	11.8	3.2	0.8	2.4
Full- and part-time status
Full-time workers⁽²⁾	59,198	884	183	702	74.1	41.1	26.0	48.4	1.5	0.3	1.2
Men	32,418	334	66	268	40.6	15.5	9.5	18.5	1.0	0.2	0.8
Women	26,780	550	116	434	33.5	25.6	16.6	29.9	2.1	0.4	1.6
Part-time workers⁽²⁾	20,582	1,267	519	748	25.8	58.9	74.0	51.6	6.2	2.5	3.6
Men	7,108	434	203	231	8.9	20.2	29.0	15.9	6.1	2.9	3.3
Women	13,474	833	316	517	16.9	38.7	45.0	35.6	6.2	2.3	3.8
(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, 2016 annual averages
Region and division	Number of workers (in thousands)				Percent distribution				Percentage 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 paid hourly rates	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage	Total paid hourly rates	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage
Total, 16 years and older	79,883	2,153	701	1,451	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	2.7	0.9	1.8
Northeast	13,374	359	112	246	16.7	16.7	16.0	17.0	2.7	0.8	1.8
New England	3,822	85	15	70	4.8	4.0	2.1	4.8	2.2	0.4	1.8
Middle Atlantic	9,522	273	97	176	12.0	12.7	13.9	12.1	2.9	1.0	1.8
Midwest	19,020	465	131	334	23.8	21.6	18.7	23.0	2.4	0.7	1.8
East North Central	12,936	323	92	230	16.2	15.0	13.2	15.9	2.5	0.7	1.8
West North Central	6.084	142	39	103	7.6	6.6	5.6	7.1	2.3	0.6	1.7
South	28,302	1,043	386	657	35.4	48.5	55.0	45.3	3.7	1.4	2.3
South Atlantic	14, 676	501	151	350	18.4	23.3	21.6	24.1	3.4	1.0	2.4
East South Central	4,725	196	89	107	5.9	9.1	12.7	7.4	4.1	1.9	2.3
West South Central	8,901	345	146	200	11.1	16.0	20.8	13.8	3.9	1.6	2.2
West	19, 187	286	72	214	24.0	13.3	10.2	14.8	1.5	0.4	1.1
Mountain	6,045	145	38	107	7.6	6.8	5.5	7.4	2.4	0.6	1.8
Pacific	13,142	141	33	107	16.5	6.5	4.7	7.4	1.1	0.3	0.8
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. 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, 2016 annual averages
State	Number of workers (in thousands)				Percent distribution				Percentage 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 paid hourly rates	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage	Total paid hourly rates	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage
Total, 16 years and older	79,883	2,153	701	1,451	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	2.7	0.9	1.8
Alabama	1,222	43	20	23	1.5	2.0	2.9	1.6	3.5	1.7	1.9
Alaska	199	1	1	1	0.2	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.7	0.3	0.4
Arizona	1,653	39	6	34	2.1	1.8	0.9	2.3	2.4	0.4	2.0
Arkansas	724	19	6	13	0.9	0.9	0.8	0.9	2.6	0.8	1.8
California	9,669	99	24	75	12.1	4.6	3.4	5.1	1.0	0.2	0.8
Colorado	1,318	30	4	26	1.7	1.4	0.5	1.8	2.3	0.3	2.0
Connecticut	915	18	3	15	1.1	0.8	0.4	1.0	1.9	0.3	1.7
Delaware	232	5	1	4	0.3	0.2	0.2	0.3	2.3	0.5	1.8
District of Columbia	111	3	0	2	0.1	0.1	0.0	0.2	2.4	0.1	2.2
Florida	4,502	132	20	113	5.6	6.2	2.8	7.8	2.9	0.4	2.5
Georgia	2,318	90	39	51	2.9	4.2	5.5	3.5	3.9	1.7	2.2
Hawaii	363	5	1	4	0.5	0.2	0.1	0.3	1.3	0.3	1.1
Idaho	458	21	10	11	0.6	1.0	1.4	0.8	4.6	2.1	2.5
Illinois	3,107	76	19	57	3.9	3.5	2.7	3.9	2.4	0.6	1.8
Indiana	1,899	69	32	37	2.4	3.2	4.6	2.6	3.7	1.7	2.0
Iowa	981	24	10	13	1.2	1.1	1.5	0.9	2.4	1.0	1.4
Kansas	815	36	14	22	1.0	1.7	2.0	1.5	4.4	1.7	2.7
Kentucky	1,068	51	23	28	1.3	2.4	3.3	2.0	4.8	2.2	2.7
Louisiana	1,095	58	27	31	1.4	2.7	3.8	2.1	5.3	2.4	2.8
Maine	363	10	2	8	0.5	0.4	0.3	0.5	2.7	0.5	2.2
Maryland	1,449	30	6	25	1.8	1.4	0.8	1.7	2.1	0.4	1.7
Massachusetts	1,650	29	5	24	2.1	1.4	0.7	1.7	1.8	0.3	1.5
Michigan	2,800	56	8	49	3.5	2.6	1.1	3.4	2.0	0.3	1.7
Minnesota	1,547	18	6	12	1.9	0.9	0.9	0.8	1.2	0.4	0.8
Mississippi	710	34	15	20	0.9	1.6	2.1	1.4	4.8	2.1	2.8
Missouri	1,708	46	6	40	2.1	2.1	0.9	2.8	2.7	0.4	2.3
Montana	294	4	1	3	0.4	0.2	0.1	0.2	1.2	0.3	1.0
Nebraska	537	10	1	9	0.7	0.5	0.2	0.6	1.9	0.2	1.7
Nevada	807	10	6	5	1.0	0.5	0.8	0.3	1.3	0.7	0.6
New Hampshire	398	15	3	12	0.5	0.7	0.5	0.8	3.8	0.8	3.0
New Jersey	1,855	48	9	38	2.3	2.2	1.3	2.6	2.6	0.5	2.1
New Mexico	512	14	2	12	0.6	0.7	0.2	0.9	2.7	0.3	2.4
New York	4,180	82	15	66	5.2	3.8	2.2	4.6	2.0	0.4	1.6
North Carolina	2,522	91	38	52	3.2	4.2	5.5	3.6	3.6	1.5	2.1
North Dakota	241	4	1	3	0.3	0.2	0.1	0.2	1.6	0.3	1.3
Ohio	3,327	75	15	60	4.2	3.5	2.2	4.1	2.3	0.5	1.8
Oklahoma	894	27	13	14	1.1	1.3	1.8	1.0	3.1	1.4	1.6
Oregon	1,059	10	0	10	1.3	0.5	0.0	0.7	1.0	0.0	1.0
Pennsylvania	3,516	144	73	71	4.4	6.7	10.4	4.9	4.1	2.1	2.0
Rhode Island	312	8	1	7	0.4	0.4	0.2	0.5	2.7	0.4	2.3
South Carolina	1,151	57	19	38	1.4	2.7	2.7	2.7	5.0	1.6	3.3
South Dakota	256	4	1	3	0.3	0.2	0.1	0.2	1.6	0.4	1.2
Tennessee	1,724	67	31	36	2.2	3.1	4.4	2.5	3.9	1.8	2.1
Texas	6,188	242	100	141	7.7	11.2	14.3	9.7	3.9	1.6	2.3
Utah	840	23	10	13	1.1	1.1	1.4	0.9	2.7	1.1	1.6
Vermont	184	5	1	4	0.2	0.2	0.1	0.3	2.5	0.5	2.0
Virginia	1,957	83	26	57	2.4	3.9	3.8	3.9	4.3	1.4	2.9
Washington	1,853	25	8	18	2.3	1.2	1.1	1.2	1.4	0.4	1.0
West Virginia	433	10	2	7	0.5	0.4	0.3	0.5	2.2	0.6	1.7
Wisconsin	1,802	46	18	28	2.3	2.1	2.5	1.9	2.6	1.0	1.6
Wyoming	163	4	1	3	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	2.5	0.7	1.8
Note: Data exclude all self-employed persons 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, 2016 annual averages
Occupation	Number of workers (in thousands)				Percent distribution				Percentage 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 paid hourly rates	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage	Total paid hourly rates	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage
Total, 16 years and older	79,883	2,153	701	1,451	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	2.7	0.9	1.8
Management, professional, and related occupations	17,657	122	57	65	22.1	5.7	8.2	4.5	0.7	0.3	0.4
Management, business, and financial operations occupations	5,183	39	13	26	6.5	1.8	1.9	1.8	0.8	0.3	0.5
Professional and related occupations	12,474	83	44	39	15.6	3.9	6.3	2.7	0.7	0.4	0.3
Service occupations	19,529	1,432	298	1,134	24.4	66.5	42.5	78.1	7.3	1.5	5.8
Healthcare support occupations	2,891	56	24	32	3.6	2.6	3.5	2.2	2.0	0.8	1.1
Protective service occupations	2,002	33	8	25	2.5	1.5	1.2	1.7	1.6	0.4	1.2
Food preparation and serving related occupations	7,513	1,121	189	932	9.4	52.1	27.0	64.2	14.9	2.5	12.4
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations	3,952	87	30	57	4.9	4.0	4.3	3.9	2.2	0.8	1.4
Personal care and service occupations	3,171	135	47	89	4.0	6.3	6.6	6.1	4.3	1.5	2.8
Sales and office occupations	20,374	361	242	120	25.5	16.8	34.4	8.3	1.8	1.2	0.6
Sales and related occupations	8,046	200	147	54	10.1	9.3	20.9	3.7	2.5	1.8	0.7
Office and administrative support occupations	12,328	161	95	66	15.4	7.5	13.5	4.6	1.3	0.8	0.5
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations	8,891	40	5	34	11.1	1.9	0.8	2.4	0.4	0.1	0.4
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations	688	12	2	10	0.9	0.5	0.3	0.7	1.7	0.3	1.4
Construction and extraction occupations	4,874	11	0	11	6.1	0.5	0.0	0.8	0.2	0.0	0.2
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	3,318	17	3	13	4.2	0.8	0.4	0.9	0.5	0.1	0.4
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations	13,442	197	99	98	16.8	9.1	14.1	6.8	1.5	0.7	0.7
Production occupations	6,809	54	29	25	8.5	2.5	4.1	1.8	0.8	0.4	0.4
Transportation and material moving occupations	6,633	142	70	73	8.3	6.6	9.9	5.0	2.1	1.0	1.1
Note: 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, 2016 annual averages
Industry	Number of workers (in thousands)				Percent distribution				Percentage of workers paid hourly rates
	Total paid hourly rates	At or below the minimum wage			Total paid hourly rates	At or below minimum wage			At or below the minimum wage
	Total paid hourly rates	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage	Total paid hourly rates	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage
Total, 16 years and older	79,883	2,153	701	1,451	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	2.7	0.9	1.8
Private sector	70,396	2,035	647	1,388	88.1	94.5	92.2	95.6	2.9	0.9	2.0
Agriculture and related industries	851	12	2	10	1.1	0.6	0.2	0.7	1.4	0.2	1.2
Nonagricultural industries	69,545	2,023	645	1,378	87.1	94.0	92.0	94.9	2.9	0.9	2.0
Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction	398	2	0	2	0.5	0.1	0.0	0.1	0.4	0.0	0.4
Construction	5,051	19	2	17	6.3	0.9	0.3	1.2	0.4	0.0	0.3
Manufacturing	9,307	67	26	41	11.7	3.1	3.7	2.8	0.7	0.3	0.4
Durable goods	5,735	28	13	14	7.2	1.3	1.9	1.0	0.5	0.2	0.3
Nondurable goods	3,572	39	13	27	4.5	1.8	1.8	1.8	1.1	0.4	0.7
Wholesale and retail trade	12,776	219	148	72	16.0	10.2	21.0	5.0	1.7	1.2	0.6
Wholesale trade	1,623	8	4	4	2.0	0.4	0.6	0.3	0.5	0.2	0.3
Retail trade	11,153	211	144	68	14.0	9.8	20.5	4.7	1.9	1.3	0.6
Transportation and utilities	3,652	46	14	32	4.6	2.1	1.9	2.2	1.2	0.4	0.9
Information	1,057	17	7	10	1.3	0.8	1.1	0.7	1.6	0.7	0.9
Financial activities	3,668	26	7	19	4.6	1.2	1.0	1.3	0.7	0.2	0.5
Professional and business services	6,490	62	27	35	8.1	2.9	3.8	2.4	1.0	0.4	0.5
Education and health services	13,771	199	110	89	17.2	9.3	15.7	6.1	1.4	0.8	0.6
Leisure and hospitality	10,107	1,276	279	997	12.7	59.3	39.8	68.7	12.6	2.8	9.9
Other services	3,268	88	25	63	4.1	4.1	3.5	4.4	2.7	0.8	1.9
Public sector	9,486	118	54	63	11.9	5.5	7.8	4.4	1.2	0.6	0.7
Federal	1,884	17	8	8	2.4	0.8	1.2	0.6	0.9	0.4	0.4
State	2,838	48	28	20	3.6	2.2	4.0	1.4	1.7	1.0	0.7
Local	4,764	53	18	35	6.0	2.5	2.6	2.4	1.1	0.4	0.7

Note: Data exclude all self-employed persons 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, 2016 annual averages
Educational attainment	Number of workers (in thousands)				Percent distribution				Percentage 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 paid hourly rates	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage	Total paid hourly rates	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage
Total, 16 years and older	79,883	2,153	701	1,451	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	2.7	0.9	1.8
Less than a high school diploma	9,725	459	221	237	12.2	21.3	31.5	16.4	4.7	2.3	2.4
Less than 1 year of high school	2,826	68	25	43	3.5	3.1	3.5	3.0	2.4	0.9	1.5
1 to 3 years of high school	5,546	320	165	155	6.9	14.9	23.5	10.7	5.8	3.0	2.8
4 years of high school, no diploma	1,353	71	31	39	1.7	3.3	4.5	2.7	5.2	2.3	2.9
High school graduates or more	70,157	1,694	480	1,214	87.8	78.7	68.5	83.6	2.4	0.7	1.7
High school graduates, no college	26,919	667	208	459	33.7	31.0	29.6	31.6	2.5	0.8	1.7
Some college or associate's degree	27,902	783	242	540	34.9	36.4	34.6	37.2	2.8	0.9	1.9
Some college, no degree	18,075	591	185	406	22.6	27.5	26.4	28.0	3.3	1.0	2.2
Associate's degree	9,827	192	57	134	12.3	8.9	8.2	9.3	2.0	0.6	1.4
Occupational program	4,161	72	17	54	5.2	3.3	2.5	3.7	1.7	0.4	1.3
Academic program	5,666	120	40	80	7.1	5.6	5.7	5.5	2.1	0.7	1.4
Bachelor's degree and higher	15,337	245	30	214	19.2	11.4	4.3	14.8	1.6	0.2	1.4
Bachelor's degree	11,702	218	28	191	14.6	10.1	3.9	13.2	1.9	0.2	1.6
Master's degree	2,910	21	3	18	3.6	1.0	0.4	1.3	0.7	0.1	0.6
Professional degree	326	3	0	3	0.4	0.1	0.0	0.2	0.9	0.0	0.9
Doctoral degree	398	3	0	3	0.5	0.1	0.0	0.2	0.6	0.0	0.6
Note: 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, 2016 annual averages
Age and gender	Number of workers (in thousands)				Percent distribution				Percentage 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 paid hourly rates	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage	Total paid hourly rates	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage
Total
Total, 16 years and older	79,883	2,153	701	1,451	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	2.7	0.9	1.8
16 to 24 years	15,856	976	383	594	19.8	45.4	54.5	40.9	6.2	2.4	3.7
16 to 19 years	4,592	443	214	229	5.7	20.6	30.5	15.8	9.7	4.7	5.0
20 to 24 years	11,264	533	169	364	14.1	24.8	24.0	25.1	4.7	1.5	3.2
25 years and older	64,026	1,176	319	857	80.2	54.6	45.5	59.1	1.8	0.5	1.3
25 to 34 years	18,988	526	132	393	23.8	24.4	18.9	27.1	2.8	0.7	2.1
25 to 29 years	10,348	297	78	219	13.0	13.8	11.1	15.1	2.9	0.8	2.1
30 to 34 years	8,640	229	55	174	10.8	10.6	7.8	12.0	2.6	0.6	2.0
35 to 44 years	14,609	241	63	178	18.3	11.2	8.9	12.3	1.6	0.4	1.2
35 to 39 years	7,541	123	32	91	9.4	5.7	4.5	6.3	1.6	0.4	1.2
40 to 44 years	7,067	118	31	87	8.8	5.5	4.4	6.0	1.7	0.4	1.2
45 to 54 years	14,957	217	65	152	18.7	10.1	9.3	10.5	1.5	0.4	1.0
45 to 49 years	7,409	115	27	88	9.3	5.3	3.8	6.0	1.5	0.4	1.2
50 to 54 years	7,548	103	39	64	9.4	4.8	5.5	4.4	1.4	0.5	0.8
55 to 64 years	11,742	129	28	100	14.7	6.0	4.1	6.9	1.1	0.2	0.9
55 to 59 years	6,938	75	18	58	8.7	3.5	2.5	4.0	1.1	0.3	0.8
60 to 64 years	4,804	54	11	43	6.0	2.5	1.6	2.9	1.1	0.2	0.9
65 years and older	3,731	64	30	34	4.7	3.0	4.3	2.3	1.7	0.8	0.9
65 to 69 years	2,217	40	18	23	2.8	1.9	2.5	1.6	1.8	0.8	1.0
70 years and older	1,514	24	12	11	1.9	1.1	1.8	0.8	1.6	0.8	0.7
Men
Total, 16 years and older	39,568	769	270	499	49.5	35.7	38.4	34.4	1.9	0.7	1.3
16 to 24 years	7,967	357	147	210	10.0	16.6	21.0	14.5	4.5	1.8	2.6
16 to 19 years	2,278	183	87	96	2.9	8.5	12.3	6.6	8.0	3.8	4.2
20 to 24 years	5,688	174	61	114	7.1	8.1	8.6	7.8	3.1	1.1	2.0
25 years and older	31,601	412	122	289	39.6	19.1	17.5	19.9	1.3	0.4	0.9
25 to 34 years	9,943	196	60	136	12.4	9.1	8.5	9.4	2.0	0.6	1.4
25 to 29 years	5,393	113	40	73	6.8	5.2	5.8	5.0	2.1	0.8	1.3
30 to 34 years	4,551	83	19	64	5.7	3.8	2.7	4.4	1.8	0.4	1.4
35 to 44 years	7,324	72	19	53	9.2	3.4	2.8	3.7	1.0	0.3	0.7
35 to 39 years	3,843	37	7	30	4.8	1.7	0.9	2.1	1.0	0.2	0.8
40 to 44 years	3,481	35	13	23	4.4	1.6	1.8	1.6	1.0	0.4	0.7
45 to 54 years	7,229	85	21	64	9.1	3.9	3.0	4.4	1.2	0.3	0.9
45 to 49 years	3,595	42	12	31	4.5	2.0	1.7	2.1	1.2	0.3	0.8
50 to 54 years	3,634	43	9	33	4.5	2.0	1.3	2.3	1.2	0.3	0.9
55 to 64 years	5,421	38	14	24	6.8	1.7	2.0	1.6	0.7	0.3	0.4
55 to 59 years	3,188	23	10	12	4.0	1.1	1.5	0.8	0.7	0.3	0.4
60 to 64 years	2,232	15	4	11	2.8	0.7	0.5	0.8	0.7	0.2	0.5
65 years and older	1,683	21	9	13	2.1	1.0	1.2	0.9	1.3	0.5	0.8
65 to 69 years	968	12	5	8	1.2	0.6	0.7	0.5	1.3	0.5	0.8
70 years and older	715	9	4	5	0.9	0.4	0.6	0.3	1.3	0.6	0.7
Women
Total, 16 years and older	40,315	1,384	432	952	50.5	64.3	61.6	65.6	3.4	1.1	2.4
16 to 24 years	7,890	619	235	384	9.9	28.8	33.6	26.5	7.8	3.0	4.9
16 to 19 years	2,314	260	127	133	2.9	12.1	18.1	9.2	11.3	5.5	5.8
20 to 24 years	5,576	359	108	251	7.0	16.7	15.4	17.3	6.4	1.9	4.5
25 years and older	32,425	764	196	568	40.6	35.5	28.0	39.1	2.4	0.6	1.8
25 to 34 years	9,044	330	73	257	11.3	15.3	10.4	17.7	3.6	0.8	2.8
25 to 29 years	4,955	184	37	147	6.2	8.5	5.3	10.1	3.7	0.8	3.0
30 to 34 years	4,090	146	35	111	5.1	6.8	5.1	7.6	3.6	0.9	2.7
35 to 44 years	7,285	168	43	125	9.1	7.8	6.2	8.6	2.3	0.6	1.7
35 to 39 years	3,699	86	25	61	4.6	4.0	3.6	4.2	2.3	0.7	1.6
40 to 44 years	3,586	82	18	64	4.5	3.8	2.6	4.4	2.3	0.5	1.8
45 to 54 years	7,727	132	45	88	9.7	6.2	6.4	6.1	1.7	0.6	1.1
45 to 49 years	3,813	72	15	57	4.8	3.4	2.2	3.9	1.9	0.4	1.5
50 to 54 years	3,914	60	29	31	4.9	2.8	4.2	2.1	1.5	0.8	0.8
55 to 64 years	6,321	91	14	77	7.9	4.2	2.0	5.3	1.4	0.2	1.2
55 to 59 years	3,749	53	7	45	4.7	2.4	1.0	3.1	1.4	0.2	1.2
60 to 64 years	2,572	39	7	31	3.2	1.8	1.0	2.2	1.5	0.3	1.2
65 years and older	2,048	43	21	21	2.6	2.0	3.1	1.5	2.1	1.0	1.0
65 to 69 years	1,249	28	13	15	1.6	1.3	1.9	1.0	2.2	1.0	1.2
70 years and older	799	15	8	6	1.0	0.7	1.2	0.4	1.8	1.0	0.8
Note: 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, 2016 annual averages
Marital status, age, and gender	Number of workers (in thousands)				Percent distribution				Percentage 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 paid hourly rates	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage	Total paid hourly rates	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage
Total
Total, 16 years and older	79,883	2,153	701	1,451	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	2.7	0.9	1.8
Never married	31,473	1,403	520	883	39.4	65.2	74.1	60.9	4.5	1.7	2.8
16 to 24 years	14,416	914	364	550	18.0	42.4	51.9	37.9	6.3	2.5	3.8
25 years and older	17,057	489	156	334	21.4	22.7	22.2	23.0	2.9	0.9	2.0
25 to 54 years	15,572	458	146	312	19.5	21.3	20.8	21.5	2.9	0.9	2.0
Married, spouse present(1)	35,193	463	103	360	44.1	21.5	14.6	24.8	1.3	0.3	1.0
16 to 24 years	1,046	42	12	30	1.3	2.0	1.7	2.1	4.0	1.2	2.8
25 years and older	34,147	421	90	331	42.7	19.6	12.9	22.8	1.2	0.3	1.0
25 to 54 years	24,696	343	69	274	30.9	15.9	9.8	18.9	1.4	0.3	1.1
Widowed, divorced, or separated(2)	13,216	287	79	208	16.5	13.3	11.3	14.3	2.2	0.6	1.6
16 to 24 years	395	21	6	14	0.5	1.0	0.9	1.0	5.2	1.6	3.6
25 years and older	12,821	266	73	193	16.1	12.4	10.4	13.3	2.1	0.6	1.5
25 to 54 years	8,285	183	45	137	10.4	8.5	6.5	9.5	2.2	0.5	1.7
Men
Total, 16 years and older	39,568	769	270	499	49.5	35.7	38.4	34.4	1.9	0.7	1.3
Never married	16,498	554	218	336	20.7	25.7	31.0	23.2	3.4	1.3	2.0
16 to 24 years	7,329	346	144	202	9.2	16.1	20.5	13.9	4.7	2.0	2.8
25 years and older	9,169	208	73	134	11.5	9.7	10.5	9.3	2.3	0.8	1.5
25 to 54 years	8,451	197	67	130	10.6	9.1	9.6	8.9	2.3	0.8	1.5
Married, spouse present(1)	17,999	157	38	119	22.5	7.3	5.3	8.2	0.9	0.2	0.7
16 to 24 years	478	9	3	6	0.6	0.4	0.4	0.4	1.8	0.6	1.3
25 years and older	17,521	148	35	113	21.9	6.9	5.0	7.8	0.8	0.2	0.6
25 to 54 years	12,670	117	23	94	15.9	5.4	3.2	6.5	0.9	0.2	0.7
Widowed, divorced, or separated(2)	5,071	59	15	44	6.3	2.7	2.1	3.0	1.2	0.3	0.9
16 to 24 years	160	2	0	2	0.2	0.1	0.0	0.1	1.4	0.2	1.2
25 years and older	4,911	56	14	42	6.1	2.6	2.0	2.9	1.1	0.3	0.9
25 to 54 years	3,375	40	10	30	4.2	1.8	1.4	2.0	1.2	0.3	0.9
Women
Total, 16 years and older	40,315	1,384	432	952	50.5	64.3	61.6	65.6	3.4	1.1	2.4
Never married	14,975	849	302	547	18.7	39.5	43.1	37.7	5.7	2.0	3.7
16 to 24 years	7,087	568	220	348	8.9	26.4	31.4	24.0	8.0	3.1	4.9
25 years and older	7,888	282	82	199	9.9	13.1	11.7	13.7	3.6	1.0	2.5
25 to 54 years	7,121	261	79	182	8.9	12.1	11.3	12.6	3.7	1.1	2.6
Married, spouse present(1)	17,195	306	65	241	21.5	14.2	9.3	16.6	1.8	0.4	1.4
16 to 24 years	568	33	9	24	0.7	1.5	1.4	1.6	5.8	1.7	4.2
25 years and older	16,626	273	56	218	20.8	12.7	7.9	15.0	1.6	0.3	1.3
25 to 54 years	12,026	226	46	180	15.1	10.5	6.5	12.4	1.9	0.4	1.5
Widowed, divorced, or separated(2)	8,145	228	64	163	10.2	10.6	9.2	11.3	2.8	0.8	2.0
16 to 24 years	234	18	6	12	0.3	0.9	0.8	0.9	7.8	2.5	5.3
25 years and older	7,910	210	59	151	9.9	9.7	8.3	10.4	2.7	0.7	1.9
25 to 54 years	4,910	143	36	108	6.1	6.7	5.1	7.4	2.9	0.7	2.2
Footnotes: (1) Refers to people in opposite-sex married couples only. (2) Separated includes people who are married, spouse absent. Note: Data exclude all self-employed workers, whether or not their businesses are incorporated. 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, 2016 annual averages
Usual hours worked per week on primary job	Number of workers (in thousands)				Percent distribution				Percentage 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 paid hourly rates	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage	Total paid hourly rates	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage
Total, 16 years and older	79,883	2,153	701	1,451	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	2.7	0.9	1.8
Hours vary	4,633	209	86	123	5.8	9.7	12.3	8.5	4.5	1.9	2.7
0 to 34 hours	18,865	1,155	466	688	23.6	53.7	66.5	47.4	6.1	2.5	3.6
0 to 4 hours	384	16	10	6	0.5	0.8	1.4	0.4	4.2	2.6	1.6
5 to 9 hours	994	72	36	36	1.2	3.3	5.1	2.5	7.2	3.6	3.6
10 to 14 hours	1,673	105	50	55	2.1	4.9	7.1	3.8	6.3	3.0	3.3
15 to 19 hours	2,374	191	83	108	3.0	8.9	11.8	7.4	8.0	3.5	4.6
20 to 24 hours	5,543	339	146	193	6.9	15.7	20.8	13.3	6.1	2.6	3.5
25 to 29 hours	3,007	192	71	121	3.8	8.9	10.1	8.3	6.4	2.4	4.0
30 to 34 hours	4,890	240	71	169	6.1	11.2	10.1	11.6	4.9	1.5	3.5
35 hours or more	56,385	789	149	640	70.6	36.6	21.2	44.1	1.4	0.3	1.1
35 to 39 hours	6,085	206	43	163	7.6	9.6	6.1	11.2	3.4	0.7	2.7
40 hours or more	50,300	583	106	477	63.0	27.1	15.1	32.9	1.2	0.2	0.9
40 hours	43,362	472	92	380	54.3	21.9	13.1	26.2	1.1	0.2	0.9
41 hours or more	6,938	111	14	98	8.7	5.2	2.0	6.7	1.6	0.2	1.4
41 to 44 hours	675	7	2	5	0.8	0.3	0.2	0.4	1.0	0.2	0.8
45 to 48 hours	2,463	42	4	38	3.1	1.9	0.6	2.6	1.7	0.2	1.5
49 to 59 hours	2,539	42	4	38	3.2	1.9	0.5	2.6	1.7	0.1	1.5
60 hours or more	1,261	21	5	16	1.6	1.0	0.6	1.1	1.6	0.4	1.3
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. 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, 1979–2016 annual averages (numbers in thousands)
Year and gender	Total wage and salary workers	Workers paid hourly rates
		Total	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 wage
		Total	Percentage of total wage and salary workers	At prevailing federal minimum wage⁽¹⁾	Below prevailing federal minimum wage⁽¹⁾	Number	Percentage of hourly paid workers
Total
1979	87,529	51,721	59.1	3,997	2,916	6,912	13.4
1980	87,644	51,335	58.6	4,686	3,087	7,773	15.1
1981	88,516	51,869	58.6	4,311	3,513	7,824	15.1
1982	87,368	50,846	58.2	4,148	2,348	6,496	12.8
1983	88,290	51,820	58.7	4,261	2,077	6,338	12.2
1984	92,194	54,143	58.7	4,125	1,838	5,963	11.0
1985	94,521	55,762	59.0	3,899	1,639	5,538	9.9
1986	96,903	57,529	59.4	3,461	1,599	5,060	8.8
1987	99,303	59,552	60.0	3,229	1,468	4,698	7.9
1988	101,407	60,878	60.0	2,608	1,319	3,927	6.5
1989	103,480	62,389	60.3	1,790	1,372	3,162	5.1
1990	104,876	63,172	60.2	1,096	2,132	3,228	5.1
1991	103,723	62,627	60.4	2,906	2,377	5,283	8.4
1992	104,668	63,610	60.8	2,982	1,939	4,921	7.7
1993	106,101	64,274	60.6	2,625	1,707	4,332	6.7
1994	107,989	66,549	61.6	2,132	1,995	4,128	6.2
1995	110,038	68,354	62.1	1,956	1,699	3,656	5.3
1996	111,960	69,255	61.9	1,861	1,863	3,724	5.4
1997	114,533	70,735	61.8	1,764	2,990	4,754	6.7
1998	116,730	71,440	61.2	1,593	2,834	4,427	6.2
1999	118,963	72,306	60.8	1,146	2,194	3,340	4.6
2000	122,089	73,496	60.2	898	1,752	2,650	3.6
2001	122,229	73,392	60.0	656	1,518	2,174	3.0
2002	121,826	72,508	59.5	567	1,579	2,146	3.0
2003	122,358	72,946	59.6	545	1,555	2,100	2.9
2004	123,554	73,939	59.8	520	1,483	2,003	2.7
2005	125,889	75,609	60.1	479	1,403	1,882	2.5
2006	128,237	76,514	59.7	409	1,283	1,692	2.2
2007	129,767	75,873	58.5	267	1,462	1,729	2.3
2008	129,377	75,305	58.2	286	1,940	2,226	3.0
2009	124,490	72,611	58.3	980	2,592	3,572	4.9
2010	124,073	72,902	58.8	1,820	2,541	4,361	6.0
2011	125,187	73,926	59.1	1,677	2,152	3,829	5.2
2012	127,577	75,276	59.0	1,566	1,984	3,550	4.7
2013	129,110	75,948	58.8	1,532	1,768	3,301	4.3
2014	131,431	77,207	58.7	1,255	1,737	2,992	3.9
2015	133,743	78,232	58.5	870	1,691	2,561	3.3
2016	136,101	79,883	58.7	701	1,451	2,153	2.7
Men
1979	49,400	28,392	57.5	1,353	846	2,199	7.7
1980	48,700	27,709	56.9	1,696	983	2,678	9.7
1981	48,844	27,576	56.5	1,533	1,119	2,652	9.6
1982	47,591	26,481	55.6	1,587	697	2,284	8.6
1983	47,856	26,831	56.1	1,658	585	2,243	8.4
1984	50,022	28,140	56.3	1,626	490	2,116	7.5
1985	51,015	28,893	56.6	1,544	440	1,984	6.9
1986	51,942	29,666	57.1	1,336	408	1,743	5.9
1987	52,938	30,474	57.6	1,283	364	1,647	5.4
1988	53,912	31,058	57.6	1,066	311	1,377	4.4
1989	54,789	31,687	57.8	733	379	1,112	3.5
1990	55,553	32,104	57.8	385	712	1,097	3.4
1991	54,618	31,639	57.9	1,114	795	1,909	6.0
1992	54,826	32,155	58.6	1,231	653	1,885	5.9
1993	55,475	32,337	58.3	1,091	573	1,664	5.1
1994	56,570	33,528	59.3	891	674	1,565	4.7
1995	57,669	34,420	59.7	796	542	1,338	3.9
1996	58,473	34,838	59.6	755	619	1,374	3.9
1997	59,825	35,521	59.4	673	1,147	1,820	5.1
1998	60,973	35,761	58.7	628	1,039	1,667	4.7
1999	61,914	36,073	58.3	446	768	1,214	3.4
2000	63,662	36,720	57.7	319	582	901	2.5
2001	63,647	36,544	57.4	247	497	744	2.0
2002	63,272	36,000	56.9	217	582	799	2.2
2003	63,236	35,853	56.7	213	493	706	2.0
2004	64,145	36,806	57.4	210	470	680	1.8
2005	65,466	37,652	57.5	189	459	648	1.7
2006	66,811	38,193	57.2	146	422	568	1.5
2007	67,468	37,790	56.0	86	460	546	1.4
2008	66,846	37,334	55.9	90	638	728	1.9
2009	63,539	35,185	55.4	368	990	1,358	3.9
2010	63,531	35,498	55.9	669	943	1,612	4.5
2011	64,686	36,457	56.4	648	785	1,433	3.9
2012	65,898	37,113	56.3	567	696	1,263	3.4
2013	66,794	37,544	56.2	622	621	1,243	3.3
2014	68,048	38,405	56.4	516	598	1,114	2.9
2015	69,298	38,732	55.9	330	629	959	2.5
2016	70,589	39,568	56.1	270	499	769	1.9
Women
1979	38,129	23,329	61.2	2,644	2,070	4,714	20.2
1980	38,944	23,626	60.7	2,990	2,104	5,095	21.6
1981	39,672	24,294	61.2	2,778	2,394	5,172	21.3
1982	39,777	24,365	61.3	2,561	1,651	4,212	17.3
1983	40,433	24,989	61.8	2,603	1,492	4,095	16.4
1984	42,172	26,003	61.7	2,499	1,348	3,847	14.8
1985	43,506	26,869	61.8	2,356	1,198	3,554	13.2
1986	44,961	27,863	62.0	2,125	1,192	3,317	11.9
1987	46,365	29,078	62.7	1,946	1,105	3,051	10.5
1988	47,495	29,820	62.8	1,542	1,008	2,550	8.6
1989	48,691	30,702	63.1	1,056	994	2,050	6.7
1990	49,323	31,069	63.0	711	1,420	2,131	6.9
1991	49,105	30,988	63.1	1,792	1,582	3,374	10.9
1992	49,842	31,454	63.1	1,751	1,286	3,036	9.7
1993	50,626	31,937	63.1	1,534	1,133	2,667	8.4
1994	51,419	33,021	64.2	1,241	1,322	2,563	7.8
1995	52,369	33,934	64.8	1,161	1,157	2,318	6.8
1996	53,488	34,418	64.3	1,106	1,244	2,350	6.8
1997	54,708	35,214	64.4	1,092	1,843	2,935	8.3
1998	55,757	35,680	64.0	965	1,794	2,760	7.7
1999	57,050	36,233	63.5	700	1,426	2,126	5.9
2000	58,427	36,777	62.9	579	1,170	1,749	4.8
2001	58,582	36,848	62.9	409	1,021	1,430	3.9
2002	58,555	36,508	62.3	350	997	1,347	3.7
2003	59,122	37,093	62.7	332	1,062	1,394	3.8
2004	59,408	37,133	62.5	310	1,013	1,323	3.6
2005	60,423	37,957	62.8	290	944	1,234	3.3
2006	61,426	38,321	62.4	263	861	1,124	2.9
2007	62,299	38,082	61.1	181	1,002	1,183	3.1
2008	62,532	37,972	60.7	196	1,302	1,498	3.9
2009	60,951	37,426	61.4	612	1,603	2,215	5.9
2010	60,542	37,404	61.8	1,151	1,598	2,749	7.3
2011	60,502	37,469	61.9	1,029	1,366	2,395	6.4
2012	61,679	38,163	61.9	999	1,288	2,287	6.0
2013	62,316	38,404	61.6	910	1,148	2,058	5.4
2014	63,383	38,802	61.2	739	1,139	1,878	4.8
2015	64,445	39,500	61.3	540	1,062	1,602	4.1
2016	65,512	40,315	61.5	432	952	1,384	3.4
Footnotes: (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 https://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.

Material in this report is in the public domain and may be used without permission. This information is available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice telephone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.

Concepts and definitions

The principal definitions used in connection with the estimates of minimum wage workers presented in this report are described briefly below.

Wage and salary workers. These 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. These 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. The estimates of the numbers of workers with reported earnings at or below the federal minimum wage pertain only to workers who are paid hourly rates. Salaried workers and the 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. People who usually work 35 hours or more per week at their sole or principal job are defined as working full time.

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

Race. In the survey process, race is determined by the household respondent. 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. These are 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 respondents report (which does not include overtime pay, tips, or commissions). It should be noted that 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 underestimate 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. The component of this difference that occurs because samples differ by chance is known as sampling error, 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.