It IS kind of telling how many people on here don't think ALL wages need to be raised. The employers have been ripping us off hand over fist since 1980 (or 1968, depending on who you ask).

Funny that some "progressives" support a candidate who does not support a living wage.

Women and minorities are especially hard hit by the the "no we can't" attitude.

Perhaps this will open their eyes... probably not, though.

Digging back 7 years to 2009?

Its not like the data isn't there.

a proposal to increase the minimum wage by 10 or even 20% is reasonable. A proposal to increase it by 100% - far less reasonable.

Another reason is perhaps age and inflation.

I have spent much of my life working for far, far less than $10 an hour. Spent two years working at a factory for $5.40 an hour, then another year as a janitor for $5.50. Then got a huge raise to $7.15 an hour (had to change jobs to get it). Then worked for three years for less than $8.50 and no benefits as a temp. When I started my current job in 2002 it paid $10.69 an hour.

That was pretty good money in my eyes. It also seems like it was - not that long ago. So it still feels to me like even $9 an hour is - not that bad, $11 is pretty good, and $15 is very good.

Never mind too, that I also worked full time for seven years for far far less than minimum wage.

88 Percent of Workers Who Would Benefit From a Higher Minimum Wage Are Older Than 20, One Third Are Over 40
http://www.epi.org/publication/wage-workers-older-88-percent-workers-benefit/

I don't see where they pull the data from, but if its the same as the OP, its 7 years out of date.

This is the 4Q 2015 raw data for comparison. Haven't broken it down yet.

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/wkyeng.t03.htm

The link on their chart goes to 2009 annual averages.

The link I posted doesn't show the exact same categories, but I didn't go into the database to pull an apples to apples chart yet. If I have time later I'll try to.

That link has the BLS data from 2009.

Your link is from 2013, and the methodology refers to calculations done in 2011. Could be why.

American exceptionalism denies the US to even place in the Top 10 Countries with Highest Minimum wages.

But there's always a super-duper, star-spangled awesome-sauce reason why it's not practical within our own set of imaginary, faith-based red and blue lines.

includes agricultural workers and waiters earning tips.

I assume that the disabled who get paid by the piece are also included. (There's the argument that many of them shouldn't be--if your disability causes you to need frequent breaks for anger management or you work at 10% the able-bodied rate, employment becomes a problem.)

Here's 2014 data sliced and diced all sorts of ways.

http://www.bls.gov/opub/reports/cps/characteristics-of-minimum-wage-workers-2014.pdf

That to me is a stat that hasn't gotten a lot of coverage in the push for $15. Here is a good article from Fortune last year with a breakdown of the demographics of those earning less than $15 per hour.

http://fortune.com/2015/04/13/who-makes-15-per-hour/

...is that tips are not included in the figures of those making minimum wage or less.

Characteristics of Minimum Wage Workers

The estimates of workers paid at or below the federal minimum wage are based solely on the hourly wage they report (which does not include overtime pay, tips, or commissions.)

But they sure rail against a decent living wage.