Are the majority of minimum-wage earners 25 years or older?
Saturday, March 13, 2021
By Rose Johnson
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YES
Though the minimum-wage workforce skews younger than the overall hourly-worker population, 52.4% of minimum-wage earners in the U.S. are 25 or older, according to federal data.
In 2020 workers aged 16-24 made up approximately 48% of workers earning the federal minimum wage ($7.25) or less, while representing just under one-fifth of hourly paid workers overall. Workers aged 16–24 made up 43% of the minimum-wage workforce in 2018 and 47% in 2019.
Women account for two-thirds of minimum-wage earners.
The majority of minimum wage workers (84.7%) have earned a high school diploma, but no higher education.
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