The first federal minimum wage was created as part of the National Industrial Recovery Act of 1933, signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, but declared unconstitutional.

In 1938 the Fair Labor Standards Act established it at $0.25 an hour ($5.19 in 2022 dollars).

The real value of the federal minimum wage in 2022 dollars has decreased by 46% since its inflation-adjusted peak in February 1968.

The most recently introduced bill would gradually increase the minimum wage over the 5 years following the bill's passage and ultimately eliminate sub-minimum wages for tipped, disabled, and youth workers.

This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Government.