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United States Minimum Wage Trends Dataset
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About
This dataset provides detailed United States state and federal minimum wage figures from 1968 to 2020, including 2020 equivalent dollar values. It was compiled to offer a clear record of minimum hourly pay rates, established by governments to help ensure citizens experience a basic quality of life. The data was meticulously cleaned and prepared from publicly available information originally sourced from the United States Department of Labor's website.
Columns
- Year: The year to which the data corresponds. All minimum wage values are recorded as of 1 January, with the exception of 1968 and 1969, which are as of 1 February.
- State: The specific US state or territory for which the minimum wage data is applicable.
- State.Minimum.Wage: The actual minimum wage rate set by the State government on 1 January of the respective year.
- State.Minimum.Wage.2020.Dollars: The State's minimum wage value, adjusted and expressed in 2020 equivalent dollars, providing a standardised measure for comparison over time.
- Federal.Minimum.Wage: The federal minimum wage rate enforced across the United States on 1 January of the respective year.
- Federal.Minimum.Wage.2020.Dollars: The federal minimum wage value, adjusted and expressed in 2020 equivalent dollars.
- Effective.Minimum.Wage: The minimum wage that is legally enforced in a given State on 1 January of the year. This value represents the higher of the State's minimum wage or the federal minimum wage, as the federal rate takes precedence if it is greater than the state-specific rate.
- Effective.Minimum.Wage.2020.Dollars: The Effective.Minimum.Wage value, adjusted and expressed in 2020 equivalent dollars.
- CPI.Average: The average value of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the specific year. This is based on "all items in U.S. city average, all urban consumers, not seasonally adjusted" data.
- Department.Of.Labor.Uncleaned.Data: The original, uncleaned numerical value scraped directly from the Department of Labor's website, before any processing.
- Department.Of.Labor.Cleaned.Low.Value: The State's lowest enforced minimum wage as of 1 January of the year. This is relevant in states where different minimum wage laws apply depending on business size; typically, smaller businesses may have slightly lower requirements. If only one minimum wage exists, this value will be identical to the 'Cleaned.High.Value'.
- Department.Of.Labor.Cleaned.Low.Value.2020.Dollars: The 'Department.Of.Labor.Cleaned.Low.Value' expressed in 2020 equivalent dollars.
- Department.Of.Labor.Cleaned.High.Value: The State's higher enforced minimum wage as of 1 January of the year. If only one minimum wage exists, this value will be identical to the 'Cleaned.Low.Value'.
- Department.Of.Labor.Cleaned.High.Value.2020.Dollars: The 'Department.Of.Labor.Cleaned.High.Value' expressed in 2020 equivalent dollars.
- Footnote: Additional contextual information and specific legal notes provided by the Department of Labor on their website. These footnotes highlight how laws can differ significantly between territories, particularly concerning who is protected by minimum wage regulations.
Distribution
This dataset is provided as a CSV file, named
Minimum Wage Data.csv. It has a file size of 212.31 kB and contains 15 columns. The dataset includes 2,862 individual records or rows, ensuring a robust collection of data points over the specified time frame.Usage
- Analysing historical trends and changes in US minimum wage rates.
- Conducting economic research on the impact of minimum wages on various factors such as inflation, poverty, and employment.
- Supporting policy analysis and debates regarding labour laws and social welfare initiatives in the United States.
- Educational purposes for students studying economics, history, and public policy.
- Developing visualisations and statistical models to understand minimum wage dynamics across states and over time.
Coverage
- Geographic Scope: Encompasses minimum wage data for US states and territories. The dataset includes unique values for 54 distinct states or territories.
- Time Range: The data spans a period from 1968 through to 2020, providing over five decades of historical minimum wage information.
- Data Specifics: Includes both state-specific and federal minimum wage rates, along with their inflation-adjusted equivalents in 2020 dollars. Values are generally as of 1 January, with exceptions for the earliest years.
License
CC0: Public Domain
Who Can Use It
- Economists and Academic Researchers: To conduct studies on wage growth, purchasing power, and regional economic disparities.
- Policy Makers and Government Agencies: For informing legislative decisions and evaluating the effectiveness of labour policies.
- Students and Educators: As a valuable resource for projects and curriculum related to US economic history and social policy.
- Data Scientists and Analysts: For data exploration, statistical analysis, and creating visualisations of wage trends.
Dataset Name Suggestions
- US State & Federal Minimum Wage Data (1968-2020)
- Historical US Minimum Wage by State and Territory
- United States Minimum Wage Trends Dataset
- American Labour Wages: 1968-2020
Attributes
Original Data Source: United States Minimum Wage Trends Dataset
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