Congressional Research Service (CRS)

provided by Stuart Basefsky

*State Minimum Wages: An Overview *

David H. Bradley, Specialist in Labor Economics

November 18, 2014

http://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R43792.pdf

[full-text, 37 pages]

Summary

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), enacted in 1938, is the federal legislation that establishes

the general minimum wage that must be paid to all covered workers. While the FLSA mandates

broad minimum wage coverage, states have the option of establishing minimum wage rates that

are different from those set in it. Under the provisions of the FLSA, an individual is generally covered by the higher of the state or federal minimum wage.

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