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Characteristics of Minimum Wage Workers: 2002 According to Current Population Survery estimates for 2002, some 72.7 million American workers were paid at hourly rates, representing 59.6 percent of all wage and salary workers.1 Of those paid by the hour, about 570,000 were reported earning exactly $5.15, the prevailing Federal minimum wage, and another 1.6 million were reported with wages below the minimum.2 Together, these 2.2 million workers with wages at or below the minimum made up 3.0 percent of all hourly-paid workers. Tables 1 - 10 present data on a wide array of demographic and socioeconomic characteristics for these low-wage workers. The following are some highlights from the 2002 data. • • • • • • • • Minimum wage workers tend to be young. About half of workers earning $5.15 or less were under age 25, and slightly more than one-fourth were age 16-19. Among teenagers, 10 percent earned $5.15 or less. About 2 percent of workers age 25 and over earned the minimum wage or less. However, among those age 65 and over, the proportion was about 5 percent. (See tables 1 and 7.) About 4 percent of women paid hourly rates reported wages at or below the prevailing Federal minimum, compared with about 2 percent of men. (See table 1.) The proportion of hourly-paid workers receiving $5.15 or less was about 3 percent for whites, blacks, and Hispanics. For whites and Hispanics, women were more likely than men to be low-wage earners. (See table 1.) Never- married workers, who also tend to be quite young, are more likely to earn the minimum wage or less than persons who are married. (See table 8.) The likelihood of a worker being paid the minimum wage or less is inversely related to the level of education attained. Among hourly-paid workers age 16 and over, a little over 2 percent of those who had a high school diploma but had not gone on to college earned the minimum or less, compared with less than 2 percent for those who had obtained a college degree. (See table 6.) Part-time workers (persons who usually work less than 35 hours per week) were much more likely than their full- time counterparts to be paid $5.15 or less (about 8 percent versus about 2 percent). About 1 in 10 workers putting in fewer than 15 hours per week earned the minimum or less. (See tables 1 and 9.) By occupational group, the proportion of hourly-paid workers whose earnings were reported at or below $5.15 ranged from a low of less than 1 percent for persons employed in managerial and professional specialty jobs and in precision production, craft, and repair positions, to a high of about 10 percent for those in service jobs. Roughly two-thirds of all low-wage workers in 2002 were in servicetype occupations, mostly in food service jobs. (See table 4.) Among industry groups, the proportion of workers with reported hourly wages at or below $5.15 was highest in retail trade (about 8 percent), agriculture (about 2 percent), and services (also about 2 percent). About three- fifths of all low-wage workers were employed in retail trade, and nearly one- fourth worked in services. It should be recognized that for many working in these two industries, tips and commissions might supplement the hourly wages received. (See table 5.) • • Among the four broad geographic regions, the West had the lowest proportion of hourly workers with earnings at or below $5.15 (about 2 percent), while the South had the highest (about 4 percent). For a number of States, the proportion of hourly-paid workers earning at or below the Federal minimum wage exceeded the national average; in many other States, the proportion was much lower. Some States have minimum wage laws establishing minimum wage standards that exceed the Federal level of $5.15 per hour. (See tables 2 and 3.) The proportion of hourly-paid workers earning the prevailing Federal minimum wage or less has trended downward since 1979, when data first began to be collected on a regular basis. (See table 10.) Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Bureau of Labor Statistics' data on minimum wage earners are derived from the Current Population Survey (CPS), a nationwide sample survey of households that includes questions enabling the identification of hourly-paid workers and their hourly wage rate. Data in this summary are 2002 annual averages. Notes 1 Data are for wage and salary workers, excluding the incorporated self-employed, and refer to earnings on a person's sole or principal job. 2 It should be noted that 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 exemptions to the minimum wage provisions of the law. Indeed, the relatively large number of workers with reported wages below the minimum in 2002 includes almost 500,000 hourly-paid workers reported as earning exactly $5.00 per hour; to some extent, this may reflect rounding in the responses of survey participants. The estimates of the numbers of minimum and subminimum wage workers presented in the accompanying tables pertain to workers paid at hourly rates; salaried and other nonhourly workers are excluded. As such, the actual number of workers with earnings at or below the prevailing minimum is undoubtedly understated. Research has shown that a relatively smaller number and share of salaried workers and others not paid by the hour have earnings that, when translated into hourly rates, are at or below the minimum wage. Table 1. Employed wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing Federal minimum wage by selected characteristics, 2002 annual averages Number of workers (in thousands) Characteristic Total paid hourly rates At or below $5.15 Total At $5.15 Percent of workers paid hourly rates Percent distribution Below $5.15 Total paid hourly rates At or below $5.15 Total At $5.15 At or below $5.15 Below $5.15 Total At $5.15 Below $5.15 AGE AND SEX Total, 16 years and over………….. 72,720 16 to 24 years……………………. 16,191 16 to 19 years……………. 5,808 25 years and over……………. 56,529 2,168 1,158 605 1,010 570 340 226 230 1,598 818 379 780 100.0 22.3 8.0 77.7 100.0 53.4 27.9 46.6 100.0 59.6 39.6 40.4 100.0 51.2 23.7 48.8 3.0 7.2 10.4 1.8 0.8 2.1 3.9 0.4 2.2 5.1 6.5 1.4 Men, 16 years and over…………… 36,135 16 to 24 years………………… 8,242 16 to 19 years……………….. 2,850 25 years and over…………….. 27,893 800 453 243 347 218 146 97 72 582 307 146 275 49.7 11.3 3.9 38.4 36.9 20.9 11.2 16.0 38.2 25.6 17.0 12.6 36.4 19.2 9.1 17.2 2.2 5.5 8.5 1.2 0.6 1.8 3.4 0.3 1.6 3.7 5.1 1.0 Women, 16 years and over…. 36,585 16 to 24 years………………. 7,949 16 to 19 years……………….. 2,958 25 years and over…………… 28,636 1,368 705 361 663 352 194 128 158 1,016 511 233 505 50.3 10.9 4.1 39.4 63.1 32.5 16.7 30.6 61.8 34.0 22.5 27.7 63.6 32.0 14.6 31.6 3.7 8.9 12.2 2.3 1.0 2.4 4.3 0.6 2.8 6.4 7.9 1.8 White……………………………. 59,199 Men…………………………….. 29,829 Women……………………… 29,370 1,781 626 1,155 452 162 290 1,329 464 865 81.4 41.0 40.4 82.1 28.9 53.3 79.3 28.4 50.9 83.2 29.0 54.1 3.0 2.1 3.9 0.8 0.5 1.0 2.2 1.6 2.9 Black……………………………… 9,692 Men…………………………… 4,469 Women……………………...……..5,224 276 129 147 89 44 45 187 85 102 13.3 6.1 7.2 12.7 6.0 6.8 15.6 7.7 7.9 11.7 5.3 6.4 2.8 2.9 2.8 0.9 1.0 0.9 1.9 1.9 2.0 Hispanic origin………………….. 11,206 Men……………………………… 6,624 Women…………………………. 4,582 305 144 162 110 47 64 195 97 98 15.4 9.1 6.3 14.1 6.6 7.5 19.3 8.2 11.2 12.2 6.1 6.1 2.7 2.2 3.5 1.0 0.7 1.4 1.7 1.5 2.1 Full-time workers……………………. 55,029 Men…………………………….. 30,472 Women……………………………24,557 851 367 483 169 82 87 682 285 396 75.7 41.9 33.8 39.3 16.9 22.3 29.6 14.4 15.3 42.7 17.8 24.8 1.5 1.2 2.0 0.3 0.3 0.4 1.2 0.9 1.6 Part-time workers……………….. 17,568 Men………………………….. 5,599 Women………………………. 11,969 1,309 430 879 401 136 265 908 294 614 24.2 7.7 16.5 60.4 19.8 40.5 70.4 23.9 46.5 56.8 18.4 38.4 7.5 7.7 7.3 2.3 2.4 2.2 5.2 5.3 5.1 RACE, SEX, AND HISPANIC ORIGIN FULL- AND PART-TIME STATUS AND SEX NOTE: Data exclude the incorporated self-employed. Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals because data for the "other races" group are not presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population groups. Also note that 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. 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, 2002 annual averages Number of workers (in thousands) Region and division Total paid hourly rates Total, 16 years and over…. Northeast…………….……… New England……….……… Middle Atlantic…...………. Midwest………….………….. East North Central…...….. West North Central…...…. South………...……………… South Atlantic…...……….. East South Central...……. West South Central…...… West…………………...……. Mountain………..………… Pacific…………..………… At or below $5.15 Total At $5.15 Below $5.15 Percent of workers paid hourly rates Percent distribution Total paid hourly rates At or below $5.15 Total At $5.15 At or below $5.15 Below $5.15 Total At $5.15 Below $5.15 72,720 2,168 570 1,598 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 3.0 0.8 2.2 13,164 3,817 9,347 18,797 12,955 5,842 24,324 12,500 4,256 7,568 16,436 4,939 11,497 408 85 323 570 403 166 901 411 161 329 288 172 116 83 10 73 138 92 46 263 66 66 131 85 68 17 325 75 250 432 311 120 638 345 95 198 203 104 99 18.1 5.2 12.9 25.8 17.8 8.0 33.4 17.2 5.9 10.4 22.6 6.8 15.8 18.8 3.9 14.9 26.3 18.6 7.7 41.6 19.0 7.4 15.2 13.3 7.9 5.4 14.6 1.8 12.8 24.2 16.1 8.1 46.1 11.6 11.6 23.0 14.9 11.9 3.0 20.3 4.7 15.6 27.0 19.5 7.5 39.9 21.6 5.9 12.4 12.7 6.5 6.2 3.1 2.2 3.5 3.0 3.1 2.8 3.7 3.3 3.8 4.3 1.8 3.5 1.0 0.6 0.3 0.8 0.7 0.7 0.8 1.1 0.5 1.6 1.7 0.5 1.4 0.1 2.5 2.0 2.7 2.3 2.4 2.1 2.6 2.8 2.2 2.6 1.2 2.1 0.9 NOTE: Data exclude the incorporated self-employed. 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 Table 3. Employed wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing Federal minimum wage by State, 2002 annual averages Number of workers (in thousands) State Total paid hourly rates Total Percent distribution At or below $5.15 Below At $5.15 $5.15 Total paid hourly rates Total At or below $5.15 Below At $5.15 $5.15 Percent of workers paid hourly rates At or below $5.15 Below Total At $5.15 $5.15 Total, 16 years and over.. 72,720 2,168 570 1,598 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 3.0 0.8 2.2 Alabama…………..………. Alaska………..……………. Arizona…………..………… Arkansas…………..………. California………..…………. Colorado………..…………. Connecticut……..………… Delaware…………..………. District of Columbia…..….. Florida………………..……. Georgia………..…………… Hawaii………..…………….. Idaho…………..……………. 1,054 190 1,293 653 8,441 1,141 882 201 117 3,851 1,972 293 378 36 2 52 34 85 34 15 5 4 145 55 6 15 11 1 20 15 13 5 3 1 1 20 3 1.4 0.3 1.8 0.9 11.6 1.6 1.2 0.3 0.2 5.3 2.7 0.4 0.5 1.7 0.1 2.4 1.6 3.9 1.6 0.7 0.2 0.2 6.7 2.5 0.3 0.7 1.9 0.2 3.5 2.6 2.3 0.9 0.5 0.2 0.2 3.5 0.5 0.7 1.6 0.1 2.0 1.2 4.5 1.8 0.8 0.3 0.2 7.8 3.3 0.4 0.7 3.4 1.1 4.0 5.2 1.0 3.0 1.7 2.5 3.4 3.8 2.8 2.0 4.0 1.0 0.5 1.5 2.3 0.2 0.4 0.3 0.5 0.9 0.5 0.2 4 25 1 32 19 72 29 12 4 3 125 52 6 11 1.1 2.4 0.5 2.5 2.9 0.9 2.5 1.4 2.0 2.6 3.2 2.6 2.0 2.9 Illinois………..…………… Indiana…………..…………. Iowa……………..…………. Kansas…………..………… Kentucky………..………… Louisiana…………………. Maine………..…………….. Maryland…………..………. Massachusetts…..……….. Michigan…………..………. Minnesota………..………… Mississippi…………..…….. Missouri……………..…….. 3,169 1,802 900 784 1,061 1,034 391 1,347 1,682 2,884 1,608 640 1,610 97 54 29 24 49 54 11 35 38 88 32 34 48 5 5 9 17 23 2 3 3 17 11 17 10 66 49 24 15 32 31 9 32 35 71 21 17 38 4.4 2.5 1.2 1.1 1.5 1.4 0.5 1.9 2.3 4.0 2.2 0.9 2.2 4.5 2.5 1.3 1.1 2.3 2.5 0.5 1.6 1.8 4.1 1.5 1.6 2.2 5.4 0.9 0.9 1.6 3.0 4.0 0.4 0.5 0.5 3.0 1.9 3.0 1.8 4.1 3.1 1.5 0.9 2.0 1.9 0.6 2.0 2.2 4.4 1.3 1.1 2.4 3.1 3.0 3.2 3.1 4.6 5.2 2.8 2.6 2.3 3.1 2.0 5.3 3.0 1.0 0.3 0.6 1.1 1.6 2.2 0.5 0.2 0.2 0.6 0.7 2.7 0.6 2.1 2.7 2.7 1.9 3.0 3.0 2.3 2.4 2.1 2.5 1.3 2.7 2.4 Montana……………..…….. Nebraska………..……..……. Nevada………..…………… New Hampshire………..….. New Jersey………..………. New Mexico……….....…… New York……………..……. North Carolina………..……. North Dakota……..……….. Ohio…………..……………. Oklahoma…………..……… Oregon…………..…………. Pennsylvania…..………….. 241 515 612 383 1,920 488 4,030 2,043 192 3,323 869 924 3,397 7 18 15 10 72 23 136 64 8 125 35 11 116 5 6 9 1 11 14 35 10 4 33 15 2 27 2 12 6 9 61 9 101 54 4 92 20 9 89 0.3 0.7 0.8 0.5 2.6 0.7 5.5 2.8 0.3 4.6 1.2 1.3 4.7 0.3 0.8 0.7 0.5 3.3 1.1 6.3 3.0 0.4 5.8 1.6 0.5 5.4 0.9 1.1 1.6 0.2 1.9 2.5 6.1 1.8 0.7 5.8 2.6 0.4 4.7 0.1 0.8 0.4 0.6 3.8 0.6 6.3 3.4 0.3 5.8 1.3 0.6 5.6 2.9 3.5 2.5 2.6 3.8 4.7 3.4 3.1 4.2 3.8 4.0 1.2 3.4 2.1 1.2 1.5 0.3 0.6 2.9 0.9 0.5 2.1 1.0 1.7 0.2 0.8 0.8 2.3 1.0 2.3 3.2 1.8 2.5 2.6 2.1 2.8 2.3 1.0 2.6 Rhode Island………..…….. South Carolina…..………… South Dakota………..…….. Tennesee………..………… Texas………..…………….. Utah………..……………….. Vermont……..…………….. Virginia………..…………… Washington…………..…… West Virginia……..……….. Wisconsin………..……….. Wyoming…..………………. 291 930 234 1,499 5,013 644 189 1,596 1,648 443 1,776 141 8 31 7 43 207 17 4 48 12 25 39 5 1 8 2 21 78 8 1 8 1 13 6 2 7 23 5 22 129 9 3 40 11 12 33 3 0.4 1.3 0.3 2.1 6.9 0.9 0.3 2.2 2.3 0.6 2.4 0.2 0.4 1.4 0.3 2.0 9.5 0.8 0.2 2.2 0.6 1.2 1.8 0.2 0.2 1.4 0.4 3.7 13.7 1.4 0.2 1.4 0.2 2.3 1.1 0.4 0.4 1.4 0.3 1.4 8.1 0.6 0.2 2.5 0.7 0.8 2.1 0.2 2.7 3.3 3.0 2.9 4.1 2.6 2.1 3.0 0.7 5.6 2.2 3.5 0.3 0.9 0.9 1.4 1.6 1.2 0.5 0.5 0.1 2.9 0.3 1.4 2.4 2.5 2.1 1.5 2.6 1.4 1.6 2.5 0.7 2.7 1.9 2.1 - 31 - - NOTE: Data exclude the incorporated self-employed. 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 clearly 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 an hourly wage of $5.15 may not in fact be covered by Federal or State minimum wage laws. 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. Dash represents zero. Table 4. Employed wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing Federal minimum wage by major occupation group, 2002 annual averages Number of workers (in thousands) Occupation Total paid hourly rates Total, 16 years and over……….……………. 72,720 At or below $5.15 Total At $5.15 Percent of workers paid hourly rates Percent distribution Below $5.15 Total paid hourly rates At or below $5.15 Total At $5.15 At or below $5.15 Below $5.15 Total At $5.15 Below $5.15 2,168 570 1,598 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 3.0 0.8 2.2 73 25 48 14.8 3.4 4.4 3.0 0.7 0.2 0.4 34 39 6 19 28 20 6.2 8.5 1.6 1.8 1.1 3.3 1.8 1.3 0.8 0.6 0.1 0.3 0.6 0.3 331 11 205 174 6 108 157 5 97 31.1 3.9 10.3 15.3 0.5 9.5 30.5 1.1 18.9 9.8 0.3 6.1 1.5 0.4 2.7 0.8 0.2 1.4 0.7 0.2 1.3 115 61 54 16.9 5.3 10.7 3.4 0.9 0.5 0.4 1,454 63 18 263 5 3 1,191 58 15 19.6 0.5 2.3 67.1 2.9 0.8 46.1 0.9 0.5 74.5 3.6 0.9 10.2 17.0 1.1 1.8 1.3 0.2 8.4 15.6 0.9 1,373 1,141 44 254 166 12 1,119 975 32 16.8 8.0 3.3 63.3 52.6 2.0 44.6 29.1 2.1 70.0 61.0 2.0 11.2 19.5 1.8 2.1 2.8 0.5 9.2 16.7 1.3 80 109 34 42 46 67 3.4 2.1 3.7 5.0 6.0 7.4 2.9 4.2 3.3 7.2 1.4 2.8 1.9 4.4 9,535 3,157 3,846 55 17 22 12 2 4 43 15 18 13.1 4.3 5.3 2.5 0.8 1.0 2.1 0.4 0.7 2.7 0.9 1.1 0.6 0.5 0.6 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.5 0.5 0.5 2,532 17 7 10 3.5 0.8 1.2 0.6 0.7 0.3 0.4 Operators, fabricators, and laborers……. 14,170 Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors………………….………. 5,610 Transportation and material moving…… 3,745 Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers…...…………….. 4,815 217 80 137 19.5 10.0 14.0 8.6 1.5 0.6 1.0 47 49 17 11 30 38 7.7 5.1 2.2 2.3 3.0 1.9 1.9 2.4 0.8 1.3 0.3 0.3 0.5 1.0 121 52 69 6.6 5.6 9.1 4.3 2.5 1.1 1.4 37 15 22 2.0 1.7 2.6 1.4 2.6 1.0 1.5 Managerial and professional specialty……………….………………… 10,744 Executive, administrative, and managerial…………….………………… 4,531 Professional specialty………….………… 6,212 Technical, sales, and administrative support………….……….. 22,594 Technicians and related support…….….. 2,801 Sales occupations………….…………….. 7,467 Administrative support, including clerical……………………….………….. 12,326 Service occupations………….……………. 14,235 Private household………….……………… 371 Protective service……….………………… 1,655 Service, except private household and protective…………….……………. 12,209 Food service workers…….…………….. 5,839 Health service workers……….………… 2,416 Cleaning and building service workers……………….........…………… 2,439 Personal service workers…….………… 1,514 Precision production, craft, and repair..… Mechanics and repairers…….………….. Construction trades………..……………… Other precision, production, craft, and repair…………………….…………. Farming, forestry, and fishing…….………. 1,443 NOTE: Data exclude the incorporated self-employed. Table 5. Employed wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing Federal minimum wage by major industry group, 2002 annual averages Number of workers (in thousands) Industry Total paid hourly rates Total, 16 years and over…………………….. At or below $5.15 Total At $5.15 Percent of workers paid hourly rates Percent distribution Below $5.15 Total paid hourly rates At or below $5.15 Total At $5.15 At or below $5.15 Below $5.15 Total At $5.15 Below $5.15 72,720 2,168 570 1,598 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 3.0 0.8 2.2 Private sector………………………………….. 63,670 Goods-producing industries………..……… 17,909 Agriculture………………………………… 1,220 Mining……………………...……………….. 286 Construction………..………………………… 5,049 Manufacturing………………...…………… 11,355 Durable goods…………………………… 6,833 Nondurable goods……………………… 4,521 2,027 135 29 1 39 66 38 28 509 46 10 5 31 17 14 1,518 89 19 1 34 35 21 14 87.6 24.6 1.7 0.4 6.9 15.6 9.4 6.2 93.5 6.2 1.3 1.8 3.0 1.8 1.3 89.3 8.1 1.8 0.9 5.4 3.0 2.5 95.0 5.6 1.2 0.1 2.1 2.2 1.3 0.9 3.2 0.8 2.4 0.3 0.8 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.8 0.3 0.8 2.4 0.5 1.6 0.3 0.7 0.3 0.3 0.3 Service-producing industries…………….. 45,760 Transportation and public utilities…………….4,209 Wholesale trade……………………………. 2,230 Retail trade……………………………….. 15,874 Finance, insurance, and real estate………. 3,010 Services…………………………………….. 20,436 Private households……………………… 414 Other services……………………………. 20,022 Business, auto, and repair services…………….. 4,254 Personal services……………………….. 1,829 Entertainment and recreation…………………… 1,391 Professional services……………………. 12,525 Forestry and fisheries……………………. 23 1,891 39 13 1,340 22 476 66 412 63 114 69 165 - 463 8 4 294 8 148 6 143 23 42 17 61 - 1,428 31 9 1,046 14 328 60 269 40 72 52 104 - 62.9 5.8 3.1 21.8 4.1 28.1 0.6 27.5 5.8 2.5 1.9 17.2 - 87.2 1.8 0.6 61.8 1.0 22.0 3.0 19.0 2.9 5.3 3.2 7.6 - 81.2 1.4 0.7 51.6 1.4 26.0 1.1 25.1 4.0 7.4 3.0 10.7 - 89.4 1.9 0.6 65.5 0.9 20.5 3.8 16.8 2.5 4.5 3.3 6.5 - 4.1 0.9 0.6 8.4 0.7 2.3 15.9 2.1 1.5 6.2 5.0 1.3 - 142 22 50 69 61 7 23 30 81 15 27 39 12.4 2.5 3.3 6.7 6.5 1.0 2.3 3.2 10.7 1.2 4.0 5.3 5.1 0.9 1.7 2.4 1.6 1.2 2.1 1.4 Public sector………………………………… Federal…………………………………….. State………………………………………… Local………………………………………….. 9,050 1,786 2,382 4,882 NOTE: Data exclude the incorporated self-employed. Dash represents zero. 0.1 0.3 0.2 0.3 1.0 0.2 0.2 1.9 0.3 0.7 1.4 0.7 0.5 2.3 1.2 0.5 3.1 0.7 0.4 6.6 0.5 1.6 14.5 1.3 0.9 3.9 3.7 0.8 - 0.7 0.4 1.0 0.6 0.9 0.8 1.1 0.8 - Table 6. Employed wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing Federal minimum wage by educational attainment, 2002 annual averages Number of workers (in thousands) Educational attainment Total paid hourly rates At or below $5.15 Total At $5.15 Below $5.15 Percent of workers paid hourly rates Percent distribution Total paid hourly rates At or below $5.15 Total At $5.15 At or below $5.15 Below $5.15 Total At $5.15 Below $5.15 Total, 16 years and over………………………. 72,720 2,168 570 1,598 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 3.0 0.8 2.2 Less than a high school diploma……………… 12,577 Less than 1 year of high school………….. 3,389 1 to 3 years of high school………………….. 7,902 4 years of high school, no diploma…………. 1,287 High school graduates or more……………. 60,143 High school graduates, no college………….27,428 Some college, no degree………………….. 16,376 Associate degree…………………………… 6,911 Occupational program………………….. 3,867 Academic program……………………….. 3,043 College graduates, total……………………. 9,428 Bachelor's degree……………………… 7,579 Master's degree…………………………. 1,460 Professional degree……………………. 255 Doctoral degree…………………………. 134 717 120 543 55 1,451 655 535 94 53 41 167 149 14 3 1 257 42 201 14 313 161 118 17 9 8 16 14 2 - 460 78 342 41 1,138 494 417 77 44 33 151 135 12 3 1 17.3 4.7 10.9 1.8 82.7 37.7 22.5 9.5 5.3 4.2 13.0 10.4 2.0 0.4 0.2 33.1 5.5 25.0 2.5 66.9 30.2 24.7 4.3 2.4 1.9 7.7 6.9 0.6 0.1 - 45.1 7.4 35.3 2.5 54.9 28.2 20.7 3.0 1.6 1.4 2.8 2.5 0.4 - 28.8 4.9 21.4 2.6 71.2 30.9 26.1 4.8 2.8 2.1 9.4 8.4 0.8 0.2 0.1 5.7 3.5 6.9 4.3 2.4 2.4 3.3 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.8 2.0 1.0 1.2 0.7 2.0 1.2 2.5 1.1 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.1 3.7 2.3 4.3 3.2 1.9 1.8 2.5 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.6 1.8 0.8 1.2 0.7 NOTE: Data exclude the incorporated self-employed. Dash represents zero. - Table 7. Employed wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing Federal minimum wage by age and sex, 2002 annual averages Number of workers (in thousands) Age and sex Total paid hourly rates At or below $5.15 Total At $5.15 Percent of workers paid hourly rates Percent distribution Below $5.15 Total paid hourly rates At or below $5.15 Total At $5.15 At or below $5.15 Below $5.15 Total At $5.15 Below $5.15 BOTH SEXES Total, 16 years and over…………… 72,720 Under 25 years……………….. 16,191 16 to 19 years……………….. 5,808 20 to 24 years…………………… 10,383 25 years and over…………………….. 56,529 25 to 34 years…………………… 16,357 25 to 29 years………………. 8,120 30 to 34 years…………………… 8,237 35 to 44 years……………….. 17,151 35 to 39 years………………………. 8,408 40 to 44 years……………….. 8,744 45 to 54 years…………………….. 14,190 45 to 49 years………………….. 7,888 50 to 54 years………………. 6,302 55 to 64 years………………….6,883 55 to 59 years………………….4,413 60 to 64 years………………….. 2,471 65 years and over……………..1,948 65 to 69 years……………….. 1,107 70 years and over……………. 841 2,168 1,158 605 553 1,010 375 208 167 264 139 125 167 97 69 106 57 49 99 52 47 570 340 226 114 230 81 48 33 59 33 26 31 18 13 25 12 13 34 14 20 1,598 818 379 439 780 294 160 134 205 106 99 136 79 56 81 45 36 65 38 27 100.0 22.3 8.0 14.3 77.7 22.5 11.2 11.3 23.6 11.6 12.0 19.5 10.8 8.7 9.5 6.1 3.4 2.7 1.5 1.2 100.0 53.4 27.9 25.5 46.6 17.3 9.6 7.7 12.2 6.4 5.8 7.7 4.5 3.2 4.9 2.6 2.3 4.6 2.4 2.2 100.0 59.6 39.6 20.0 40.4 14.2 8.4 5.8 10.4 5.8 4.6 5.4 3.2 2.3 4.4 2.1 2.3 6.0 2.5 3.5 100.0 51.2 23.7 27.5 48.8 18.4 10.0 8.4 12.8 6.6 6.2 8.5 4.9 3.5 5.1 2.8 2.3 4.1 2.4 1.7 3.0 7.2 10.4 5.3 1.8 2.3 2.6 2.0 1.5 1.7 1.4 1.2 1.2 1.1 1.5 1.3 2.0 5.1 4.7 5.6 0.8 2.1 3.9 1.1 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.4 0.3 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.4 0.3 0.5 1.7 1.3 2.4 2.2 5.1 6.5 4.2 1.4 1.8 2.0 1.6 1.2 1.3 1.1 1.0 1.0 0.9 1.2 1.0 1.5 3.3 3.4 3.2 800 453 243 210 347 136 86 52 87 45 43 57 32 25 32 14 17 35 24 11 218 146 97 49 72 26 18 9 16 8 8 13 7 6 5 1 3 12 8 5 582 307 146 161 275 110 68 43 71 37 35 44 25 19 27 13 14 23 16 6 49.7 11.3 3.9 7.4 38.4 12.0 6.0 6.0 11.6 5.8 5.8 9.2 5.1 4.1 4.4 2.8 1.6 1.2 0.7 0.5 36.9 20.9 11.2 9.7 16.0 6.3 4.0 2.4 4.0 2.1 2.0 2.6 1.5 1.2 1.5 0.6 0.8 1.6 1.1 0.5 38.2 25.6 17.0 8.6 12.6 4.6 3.2 1.6 2.8 1.4 1.4 2.3 1.2 1.1 0.9 0.2 0.5 2.1 1.4 0.9 36.4 19.2 9.1 10.1 17.2 6.9 4.3 2.7 4.4 2.3 2.2 2.8 1.6 1.2 1.7 0.8 0.9 1.4 1.0 0.4 2.2 5.5 8.5 3.9 1.2 1.6 2.0 1.2 1.0 1.1 1.0 0.9 0.9 0.8 1.0 0.7 1.5 3.9 4.6 2.9 0.6 1.8 3.4 0.9 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.0 0.3 1.3 1.5 1.3 1.6 3.7 5.1 3.0 1.0 1.3 1.6 1.0 0.8 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.7 0.6 0.8 0.6 1.2 2.5 3.0 1.6 1,368 705 361 343 663 238 122 116 177 94 83 109 65 44 74 43 31 65 29 36 352 194 128 65 158 55 30 25 43 25 19 18 11 7 20 11 9 22 7 15 1,016 511 233 278 505 183 92 91 134 69 64 91 54 37 54 32 22 43 22 21 50.3 10.9 4.1 6.9 39.4 10.5 5.2 5.3 12.0 5.8 6.2 10.4 5.8 4.6 5.1 3.2 1.8 1.4 0.8 0.6 63.1 32.5 16.7 15.8 30.6 11.0 5.6 5.4 8.2 4.3 3.8 5.0 3.0 2.0 3.4 2.0 1.4 3.0 1.3 1.7 61.8 34.0 22.5 11.4 27.7 9.6 5.3 4.4 7.5 4.4 3.3 3.2 1.9 1.2 3.5 1.9 1.6 3.9 1.2 2.6 63.6 32.0 14.6 17.4 31.6 11.5 5.8 5.7 8.4 4.3 4.0 5.7 3.4 2.3 3.4 2.0 1.4 2.7 1.4 1.3 3.7 8.9 12.2 6.9 2.3 3.1 3.2 3.0 2.0 2.2 1.8 1.4 1.5 1.3 2.0 1.8 2.3 6.2 5.0 7.8 1.0 2.4 4.3 1.3 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.6 0.5 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.5 0.5 0.7 2.1 1.2 3.3 2.8 6.4 7.9 5.6 1.8 2.4 2.4 2.4 1.5 1.6 1.4 1.2 1.3 1.1 1.5 1.4 1.6 4.1 3.8 4.6 MEN Total, 16 years and over………… 36,135 Under 25 years………………….8,242 16 to 19 years……………….. 2,850 20 to 24 years……………….. 5,392 25 years and over………………27,893 25 to 34 years………………… 8,712 25 to 29 years……………… 4,340 30 to 34 years………………. 4,372 35 to 44 years……………….. 8,428 35 to 39 years……………….. 4,225 40 to 44 years………………. 4,203 45 to 54 years……………… 6,655 45 to 49 years…………….. 3,686 50 to 54 years……………… 2,969 55 to 64 years………………… 3,190 55 to 59 years……………. 2,058 60 to 64 years……………… 1,132 65 years and over…………… 907 65 to 69 years………………. 527 70 years and over………….. 380 WOMEN Total, 16 years and over………………. 36,585 Under 25 years………………… 7,949 16 to 19 years……………….. 2,958 20 to 24 years………………….4,991 25 years and over…………………. 28,636 25 to 34 years……………….. 7,644 25 to 29 years……………….. 3,779 30 to 34 years……………… 3,865 35 to 44 years……………….. 8,723 35 to 39 years…………… 4,182 40 to 44 years……………… 4,541 45 to 54 years………………. 7,535 45 to 49 years………………. 4,202 50 to 54 years……………… 3,333 55 to 64 years……………… 3,693 55 to 59 years……………. 2,354 60 to 64 years………………. 1,338 65 years and over……………….. 1,041 65 to 69 years………………. 580 70 years and over………….. 461 NOTE: Data exclude the incorporated self-employed. 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, 2002 annual averages Number of workers (in thousands) Marital status, age, and sex Total paid hourly rates At or below $5.15 Total At $5.15 Below $5.15 Percent of workers paid hourly rates Percent distribution Total paid hourly rates At or below $5.15 Total At $5.15 At or below $5.15 Below $5.15 Total At $5.15 Below $5.15 BOTH SEXES Total, 16 years and over…………… 72,720 Never married………………….24,983 16 to 24 years…………………14,167 25 years and over…………………. 10,815 25 to 54 years………………10,340 Married, spouse present……………… 35,558 16 to 24 years………………. 1,623 25 years and over………………… 33,935 25 to 54 years…………… 28,242 Other marital status…………..12,179 16 to 24 years………………. 400 25 years and over…………….. 11,778 25 to 54 years………………..9,116 2,168 1,366 1,074 292 277 496 54 442 341 306 30 277 187 570 380 319 61 57 108 13 95 69 82 8 74 45 1,598 986 755 231 220 388 41 347 272 224 22 203 142 100.0 34.4 19.5 14.9 14.2 48.9 2.2 46.7 38.8 16.7 0.6 16.2 12.5 100.0 63.0 49.5 13.5 12.8 22.9 2.5 20.4 15.7 14.1 1.4 12.8 8.6 100.0 66.7 56.0 10.7 10.0 18.9 2.3 16.7 12.1 14.4 1.4 13.0 7.9 100.0 61.7 47.2 14.5 13.8 24.3 2.6 21.7 17.0 14.0 1.4 12.7 8.9 3.0 5.5 7.6 2.7 2.7 1.4 3.3 1.3 1.2 2.5 7.5 2.4 2.1 0.8 1.5 2.3 0.6 0.6 0.3 0.8 0.3 0.2 0.7 2.0 0.6 0.5 2.2 3.9 5.3 2.1 2.1 1.1 2.5 1.0 1.0 1.8 5.5 1.7 1.6 800 571 431 141 134 159 13 146 101 70 9 60 45 218 163 139 24 23 35 4 31 21 20 3 17 11 582 408 292 117 111 124 9 115 80 50 6 43 34 49.7 18.4 10.1 8.3 8.0 24.9 1.0 23.9 19.6 6.4 0.2 6.2 5.1 36.9 26.3 19.9 6.5 6.2 7.3 0.6 6.7 4.7 3.2 0.4 2.8 2.1 38.2 28.6 24.4 4.2 4.0 6.1 0.7 5.4 3.7 3.5 0.5 3.0 1.9 36.4 25.5 18.3 7.3 6.9 7.8 0.6 7.2 5.0 3.1 0.4 2.7 2.1 2.2 4.3 5.9 2.3 2.3 0.9 1.8 0.8 0.7 1.5 5.8 1.3 1.2 0.6 1.2 1.9 0.4 0.4 0.2 0.6 0.2 0.1 0.4 1.9 0.4 0.3 1.6 3.0 4.0 1.9 1.9 0.7 1.2 0.7 0.6 1.1 3.9 1.0 0.9 1,368 794 644 151 142 338 41 296 240 237 20 216 143 352 217 180 37 34 74 9 64 48 62 5 57 35 1,016 577 464 114 108 264 32 232 192 175 15 159 108 50.3 15.9 9.4 6.6 6.2 24.0 1.2 22.8 19.2 10.4 0.3 10.0 7.4 63.1 36.6 29.7 7.0 6.5 15.6 1.9 13.7 11.1 10.9 0.9 10.0 6.6 61.8 38.1 31.6 6.5 6.0 13.0 1.6 11.2 8.4 10.9 0.9 10.0 6.1 63.6 36.1 29.0 7.1 6.8 16.5 2.0 14.5 12.0 11.0 0.9 9.9 6.8 3.7 6.9 9.5 3.2 3.1 1.9 4.5 1.8 1.7 3.1 8.2 3.0 2.7 1.0 1.9 2.6 0.8 0.8 0.4 1.0 0.4 0.3 0.8 2.0 0.8 0.6 2.8 5.0 6.8 2.4 2.4 1.5 3.5 1.4 1.4 2.3 6.1 2.2 2.0 MEN Total, 16 years and over…. 36,135 Never married…………………..13,393 16 to 24 years……………… 7,365 25 years and over……………. 6,027 25 to 54 years………………. 5,817 Married, spouse present……………….. 18,107 16 to 24 years………………… 721 25 years and over…………….] 17,386 25 to 54 years……………….14,248 Other marital status……………….. 4,635 16 to 24 years………………… 155 25 years and over…………………… 4,479 25 to 54 years………………. 3,730 WOMEN Total, 16 years and over……………. 36,585 Never married……………………. 11,590 16 to 24 years………………………. 6,802 25 years and over……………….. 4,788 25 to 54 years…………………4,523 Married, spouse present………… 17,451 16 to 24 years……………….. 902 25 years and over……………… 16,549 25 to 54 years……………….. 13,994 Other marital status……………..7,544 16 to 24 years…………………. 245 25 years and over…………… 7,299 25 to 54 years……………. 5,386 NOTE: Data exclude the incorporated self-employed. Table 9. Employed wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing Federal minimum wage by usual hours worked per week, 2002 annual averages Number of workers (in thousands) Usual hours worked per week Total paid hourly rates Total, 16 years and over………… 72,720 Hours vary………………………………. 4,818 0 to 34 hours……………………. 15,651 0 to 4 hours………………….. 335 5 to 9 hours…………………… 864 10 to 14 hours……………….. 1,471 15 to 19 hours…………………2,153 20 to 24 hours……………… 4,755 25 to 29 hours……………. 2,120 30 to 34 hours…………… 3,953 35 hours or more……………….52,250 35 to 39 hours……………….. 4,773 40 hours or more……………… 47,478 40 hours……………………..41,009 41 hours or more…………… 6,469 41 to 44 hours………………. 879 45 to 48 hours……………….2,353 49 to 59 hours……………….2,298 60 hours or more……………… 939 At or below $5.15 Total At $5.15 2,168 278 1,147 33 82 136 175 357 150 214 743 205 538 451 87 8 28 35 17 NOTE: Data exclude the incorporated self-employed. 570 64 358 11 34 48 57 128 39 41 148 32 116 105 11 2 4 3 2 Below $5.15 1,598 214 789 22 48 88 118 229 111 173 595 173 422 346 76 6 24 32 15 Percent of workers paid hourly rates Percent distribution Total paid hourly rates 100.0 6.6 21.5 0.5 1.2 2.0 3.0 6.5 2.9 5.4 71.9 6.6 65.3 56.4 8.9 1.2 3.2 3.2 1.3 At or below $5.15 Total 100.0 12.8 52.9 1.5 3.8 6.3 8.1 16.5 6.9 9.9 34.3 9.5 24.8 20.8 4.0 0.4 1.3 1.6 0.8 At $5.15 100.0 11.2 62.8 1.9 6.0 8.4 10.0 22.5 6.8 7.2 26.0 5.6 20.4 18.4 1.9 0.4 0.7 0.5 0.4 At or below $5.15 Below $5.15 100.0 13.4 49.4 1.4 3.0 5.5 7.4 14.3 6.9 10.8 37.2 10.8 26.4 21.7 4.8 0.4 1.5 2.0 0.9 Total 3.0 5.8 7.3 9.9 9.5 9.2 8.1 7.5 7.1 5.4 1.4 4.3 1.1 1.1 1.3 0.9 1.2 1.5 1.8 At $5.15 0.8 1.3 2.3 3.3 3.9 3.3 2.6 2.7 1.8 1.0 0.3 0.7 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.2 Below $5.15 2.2 4.4 5.0 6.6 5.6 6.0 5.5 4.8 5.2 4.4 1.1 3.6 0.9 0.8 1.2 0.7 1.0 1.4 1.6 Table 10. Employed wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing Federal minimum wage by sex, 1979-2002 annual averages (Numbers in thousands) Workers paid hourly rates Year and sex Total wage and salary workers 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 1981………………….. 88,516 1982…………………….. 87,368 1983…………………………. 88,290 1984………………………. 92,194 1985……………………….. 94,521 1986¹………………………. 96,903 1987………………………. 99,303 1988…………………………. 101,407 1989………………………. 103,480 51,335 51,869 50,846 51,820 54,143 55,762 57,529 59,552 60,878 62,389 58.6 58.6 58.2 58.7 58.7 59.0 59.4 60.0 60.0 60.3 3,087 3,513 2,348 2,077 1,838 1,639 1,599 1,468 1,319 1,372 4,686 4,311 4,148 4,261 4,125 3,899 3,461 3,229 2,608 1,790 7,773 7,824 6,496 6,338 5,963 5,538 5,060 4,698 3,927 3,162 15.1 15.1 12.8 12.2 11.0 9.9 8.8 7.9 6.5 5.1 1990¹………………………. 104,876 1991…………………………. 103,723 1992………………………… 104,668 1993……………………… 106,101 1994¹……………………… 107,989 1995…………………………… 110,038 1996…………………………. 111,960 1997¹………………………….. 114,533 1998¹…………………….116,730 1999¹…………………….118,963 63,172 62,627 63,610 64,274 66,549 68,354 69,255 70,735 71,440 72,306 60.2 60.4 60.8 60.6 61.6 62.1 61.9 61.8 61.2 60.8 ²2,132 ²2,377 1,939 1,707 1,995 1,699 ²1,863 ²2,990 2,834 2,194 ²1,096 ²2,906 2,982 2,625 2,132 1,956 ²1,861 ²1,764 1,593 1,146 ²3,228 ²5,283 4,921 4,332 4,128 3,656 ²3,724 ²4,754 4,427 3,340 ²5.1 ²8.4 7.7 6.7 6.2 5.3 ²5.4 ²6.7 6.2 4.6 2000¹……………………. 122,292 2001…………………….122,401 2002…………………….122,009 73,638 73,467 72,720 60.2 60.0 59.6 1,853 1,615 1,598 870 638 570 2,724 2,253 2,168 3.7 3.1 3.0 MEN # 1979……………………………. 49,400 28,392 57.5 846 1,353 2,199 7.7 1980……………………. 48,700 1981………………….. 48,844 1982…………………….. 47,591 1983…………………………. 47,856 1984………………………. 50,022 1985……………………….. 51,015 1986¹………………………. 51,942 1987………………………. 52,938 1988…………………………. 53,912 1989………………………. 54,789 27,709 27,576 26,481 26,831 28,140 28,893 29,666 30,474 31,058 31,687 56.9 56.5 55.6 56.1 56.3 56.6 57.1 57.6 57.6 57.8 983 1,119 697 585 490 440 408 364 311 379 1,696 1,533 1,587 1,658 1,626 1,544 1,336 1,283 1,066 733 2,678 2,652 2,284 2,243 2,116 1,984 1,743 1,647 1,377 1,112 9.7 9.6 8.6 8.4 7.5 6.9 5.9 5.4 4.4 3.5 1990¹………………………. 55,553 1991…………………………. 54,618 1992………………………… 54,826 1993………………………55,475 1994¹……………………… 56,570 1995…………………………… 57,669 1996…………………………. 58,473 1997¹………………………….. 59,825 1998¹……………………. 60,973 1999¹……………………. 61,914 32,104 31,639 32,155 32,337 33,528 34,420 34,838 35,521 35,761 36,073 57.8 57.9 58.6 58.3 59.3 59.7 59.6 59.4 58.7 58.3 ²712 ²795 653 573 674 542 ²619 ²1,147 1,039 768 ²385 ²1,114 1,231 1,091 891 796 ²755 ²673 628 446 ²1,097 ²1,909 1,885 1,664 1,565 1,338 ²1,374 ²1,820 1,667 1,214 ²3.4 ²6.0 5.9 5.1 4.7 3.9 ²3.9 ²5.1 4.7 3.4 2000¹……………………. 63,752 2001……………………. 63,706 2002……………………. 63,384 36,771 36,649 36,135 57.7 57.5 57.0 638 530 582 324 250 218 962 780 800 2.6 2.1 2.2 See footnotes at end of table. Table 10. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing Federal minimum wage by sex, 1979-2002 annual averages -- Continued (Numbers in thousands) Workers paid hourly rates Year and sex Total wage and salary workers 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 WOMEN 1979……………………………. 38,129 23,329 61.2 2,070 2,644 4,714 20.2 1980……………………. 38,944 1981………………….. 39,672 1982…………………….. 39,777 1983…………………………. 40,433 1984………………………. 42,172 1985……………………….. 43,506 1986¹………………………. 44,961 1987………………………. 46,365 1988…………………………. 47,495 1989………………………. 48,691 23,626 24,294 24,365 24,989 26,003 26,869 27,863 29,078 29,820 30,702 60.7 61.2 61.3 61.8 61.7 61.8 62.0 62.7 62.8 63.1 2,104 2,394 1,651 1,492 1,348 1,198 1,192 1,105 1,008 994 2,990 2,778 2,561 2,603 2,499 2,356 2,125 1,946 1,542 1,056 5,095 5,172 4,212 4,095 3,847 3,554 3,317 3,051 2,550 2,050 21.6 21.3 17.3 16.4 14.8 13.2 11.9 10.5 8.6 6.7 1990¹………………………. 49,323 1991…………………………. 49,105 1992………………………… 49,842 1993………………………50,626 1994¹……………………… 51,419 1995…………………………… 52,369 1996…………………………. 53,488 1997¹………………………….. 54,708 1998¹……………………. 55,757 1999¹……………………. 57,050 31,069 30,988 31,454 31,937 33,021 33,934 34,418 35,214 35,680 36,233 63.0 63.1 63.1 63.1 64.2 64.8 64.3 64.4 64.0 63.5 ²1,420 ²1,582 1,286 1,133 1,322 1,157 ²1,244 ²1,843 1,794 1,426 ²711 ²1,792 1,751 1,534 1,241 1,161 ²1,106 ²1,092 965 700 ²2,131 ²3,374 3,036 2,667 2,563 2,318 ²2,350 ²2,935 2,760 2,126 ²6.9 ²10.9 9.7 8.4 7.8 6.8 ²6.8 ²8.3 7.7 5.9 2000¹……………………. 58,540 2001……………………. 58,695 2002……………………. 58,625 36,867 36,818 36,585 63.0 62.7 62.4 1,215 1,085 1,016 547 388 352 1,762 1,473 1,368 4.8 4.0 3.7 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 Explanatory Notes and Estimates of Error section of the February 2003 and subsequent issues of Employment and Earnings , a monthly BLS periodical. ² Data for 1990-91 and 1996-97 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 in April 1990, to $4.25 in April 1991, to $4.75 in October 1996, and to $5.15 in September 1997. Data exclude the incorporated self-employed. Also note that 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. Indeed, the relatively large number of workers with reported wages below the minimum in 1998-2002 includes some hourly-paid workers reported as earning exactly $5.00 per hour (about 1.4 million in 1998, about 900,000 in 1999, about 600,000 in 2000, about 500,000 in 2001 and almost 500,000 in 2002); to some extent, this may reflect rounding on the part of survey respondents.
@FedFRASER