readme.usfhmw Data Group Name: usfhmw (1938-2004) Description: US Federal Hourly Minimum Wage (Nominal Dollars) Data Source(s): US Department of Labor, "The Minimum Wage" webpage http://www.dol.gov./esa/minwage/chart.htm Comments: For years in which the minimum hourly wage of workers was changed, the wage rage for that calendar year was averaged to reflect the fraction of year the different wage rates were in effect. For example, on Feb. 1, 1967 the hourly minimum wage rate increased from $1.25 to $1.40 and on Feb. 1, 1968 the rate increased to $1.60. To calculate the rate to reflect the average rate over the year the wage rate for 1967 is calculated as =((1.25*31)+(1.4*(365-31)))/365 and for 1968 as =((1.4*31)+(1.6*(365-31)))/365. The readme.usfhmw file contains the effective dates of the minimum hourly wage of workers and the corresponding rate. Usage: To look up values of these data for a set of key variable values (in SAS): a) In your SAS program, before your data step add: %include 'usfhmw.fmt'; b) set SUPERKEY to the combination of key variable values you want to look up. See "SUPERKEY=" under key variable description below. c) use a formatted put function of SUPERKEY with the data series format (See examples under "Usage" in detailed description of each data series). Key vars: Varname Typ Description YEAR Num Year Min=1938 Max=2004 SUPERKEY =YEAR; Data series [summary]: Varname Fmtname Typ Description ------- ------- --- ----------- FMINWAGE FMINWAGE. Num US Federal Hourly Minimum Wage ---------------------------- Data series FMINWAGE---------------------------- Varname Fmtname Typ Description FMINWAGE FMINWAGE. Num US Federal Hourly Minimum Wage Units=nominal dollars Min=0.05 Max=5.15 Mean=2.22074627 N=67 N_Missing=0 How missings handled: Comments: Federal Hourly Minimum Wage Rate of pay, established by law or through collective bargaining, below which workers cannot be employed. Exceptions are frequently made for learners and disabled workers. Usually expressed as an hourly rate. (See Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938.) Usage: myvar=put(superkey,FMINWAGE.); ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The CONTENTS Procedure Data Set Name: SCRLIB.USFHMW04 Observations: 67 Member Type: DATA Variables: 2 Engine: V8 Indexes: 0 Created: 15:18 Saturday, May 22, 2004 Observation Length: 16 Last Modified: 15:18 Saturday, May 22, 2004 Deleted Observations: 0 Protection: Compressed: NO Data Set Type: Sorted: NO Label: -----Alphabetic List of Variables and Attributes----- # Variable Type Len Pos Label --------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 FMINWAGE Num 8 8 US Federal Hourly Minimum Wage 1 YEAR Num 8 0 Year ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Additional documentation: FEDERAL MINIMUM WAGE RATES UNDER THE FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT MIMIMUM HOURLY WAGE OF WORKERS FIRST COVERED BY: | | | EFFECTIVE |1938 ACT(1) |1961 AMENDMENTS(2)|1966 & SUBSEQUENT AMENDMENTS(3) DATE | | | NONFARM | FARM --------------------------------------------------------------------------- OCT. 24, 1938 $0.25 OCT. 24, 1939 $0.30 OCT. 24, 1945 $0.40 JAN. 25, 1950 $0.75 MAR. 1, 1956 $1.00 SEPT. 3, 1961 $1.15 $1.00 SEPT. 3, 1963 $1.25 SEPT. 3, 1964 $1.15 SEPT. 3, 1965 $1.25 FEB. 1, 1967 $1.40 $1.40 $1.00 $1.00 FEB. 1, 1968 $1.60 $1.60 $1.15 $1.15 FEB. 1, 1969 $1.30 $1.30 FEB. 1, 1970 $1.45 FEB. 1, 1971 $1.60 MAY 1, 1974 $2.00 $2.00 $1.90 $1.60 JAN. 1, 1975 $2.10 $2.10 $2.00 $1.80 JAN. 1, 1976 $2.30 $2.30 $2.20 $2.00 JAN. 1, 1977 $2.30 $2.20 JAN. 1, 1978 $2.65 for all covered, nonexempt workers JAN. 1, 1979 $2.90 for all covered, nonexempt workers JAN. 1, 1980 $3.10 for all covered, nonexempt workers JAN. 1, 1981 $3.35 for all covered, nonexempt workers APR. 1, 1990 $3.80 for all covered, nonexempt workers (4) APR. 1, 1991 $4.25 for all covered, nonexempt workers OCT. 1, 1996 $4.75 for all covered, nonexempt workers (5) SEPT. 1, 1997 $5.15 for all covered, nonexempt workers FOOTNOTES 1) The 1938 Act was applicable generally to employees engaged in interstate commerce or in the production of goods for interstate commerce. 2) The 1961 Amendments extended coverage primarily to employees in large retail and service enterprises as well as to local transit, construction, and gasoline service station employees. 3) The 1966 Amendments extended coverage to State and local government employees of hospitals, nursing homes, and schools, and to laundries, dry cleaners, and large hotels, motels, restaurants, and farms. Subsequent amendments extended coverage to the remaining Federal, State and local government employees who were not protected in 1966, to certain workers in retail and service trades previously exempted, and to certain domestic workers in private household employment. 4) Grandfather Clause: Employees who do not meet the tests for individual coverage, and whose employers were covered by the FLSA, on March 31, 1990, and fail to meet the increased annual dollar volume (ADV) test for enterprise coverage, must continue to receive at least $3.35 an hour. 5) A subminimum wage -- $4.25 an hour -- is established for employees under 20 years of age during their first 90 consecutive calendar days of employment with an employer.