Minimum Wage

Women represent nearly two-thirds of minimum wage workers — and full-time, year-round work at the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour leaves a woman with two children thousands of dollars below the poverty line. We're working to raise the minimum wage and tipped minimum wage at the federal level and in the states to boost women's economic security and help close the wage gap.

Highlights

Fact Sheet | Higher State Minimum Wages Promote Fair Pay for Women

October 2, 2013

Raising the minimum wage and the tipped minimum wage are important steps towards closing the wage gap for women.

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Fact Sheet | Fair Pay for Women Requires Increasing the Minimum Wage and Tipped Minimum Wage

October 4, 2013

Each year, millions of workers are paid the minimum wage and rely on these wages to support themselves and their families.  But the federal minimum wage hasn't increased since 2009 and the tipped minimum cash wage hasn't increased since 1991. Raising the federal minimum wage and the tipped minimum wage is vital for women, who made up about two-thirds of all workers who earned minimum wage or less in 2012. 

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Fact Sheet | 60 Percent of Women’s Job Gains in the Recovery Are in the 10 Largest Low-Wage Jobs

July 23, 2013

Women have regained a large number of the jobs they lost during the recession, but their gains are highly concentrated in low-wage occupations. Sixty percent of the increase in employment for women between 2009 and 2012 was in the 10 largest occupations that typically pay less than $10.10 per hour. In contrast, these 10 low-wage occupations accounted for only 20 percent of men’s employment growth over the same period.

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Fact Sheet | Women and the Minimum Wage, State by State Chart

June 25, 2013

The minimum wage is falling short for millions of Americans — especially for women, who represent nearly two-thirds of minimum wage workers across the country, and at least half of minimum wage workers in every state. Use this chart to see how the states compare.

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More Resources

Fact Sheet | The 10 Largest Jobs Paying Under $10.10/Hour Are Majority Women

April 05, 2013

Women are the majority of workers in each of the ten largest occupations that typically pay less than $10.10 per hour, and about two-thirds or more of the workers in seven of these occupations. Increasing the minimum wage and tipped minimum wage are key steps toward fair pay for women.

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Coalition Action Materials | National Women’s Law Center Supports Finalizing Dept. of Labor Home Care Regulations

April 05, 2013

The National Women's Law Center wrote a letter to the Office of Management and Budget urging them to finalize a Department of Labor regulation that would grant minimum wage and overtime protections to home care workers.

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Fact Sheet | Fair Pay for Women and People of Color in New York Requires Increasing the Minimum Wage and the Tipped Minimum Wage

March 15, 2013

 This fact sheet explains how increasing the minimum wage and the tipped minimum wage in New York would especially benefit women and people of color.

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Infographics and Internet Memes | Who makes less than $10.10/hour? Women.

March 05, 2013

The minimum wage is a women's issue. Check out our new infographic to learn more.

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Legal Briefs & Testimony | Testimony in Favor of Legislation (HB1204) to Increase Minimum Wage and Tipped Minimum Wage in Maryland

February 28, 2013

The National Women's Law Center submitted testimony to the Economic Matters Committee in the Maryland House in support of legislation to increase the minimum wage and tipped minimum wage in Maryland.

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