The federal minimum wage for covered nonexempt employees is $7.25 per hour
effective July 24, 2009. The federal minimum wage provisions are contained in the
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
Many states also have minimum
wage laws. In cases where an employee is subject to both the state and federal
minimum wage laws, the employee is entitled to the higher of the two minimum
wages.
The FLSA does not provide wage payment or collection procedures
for an employee's usual or promised wages or commissions in excess of those
required by the FLSA. However, some states do have laws under which
such claims (sometimes including fringe benefits) may be filed.
The Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour
Division administers and enforces the federal minimum wage law.
Questions and Answers About the
Minimum Wage
Answers to questions ranging from "how often does the
minimum wage increase" to "who ensures that workers are paid at least the
minimum wage?"
Information on the
Youth Minimum Wage Program
A minimum wage of not less than $4.25 may
be paid to employees under age 20 for their first 90 consecutive calendar days
of employment, as long as their employment does not displace other workers.
Equal
Pay Act of 1963 (Pub. L. 88-38)
Equal pay provisions prohibit
sex-based wage differentials between men and women employed in the same
establishment who perform jobs requiring equal effort, skill, and
responsibility. These provisions are enforced by the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
