EXPANDED MINIMUM WAGE CHART 

        Min.   % Avg.    Constant Dollar Equiv. (82-84 CPI)
Year    Wage   Earnings  Initial   Final
1950   $0.75    54%      $3.11     $2.77
1956    1.00    52        3.68      3.34
1961    1.15    50        3.84      3.75
1963    1.25    51        4.08      3.74
1967    1.40    50        4.19      4.02
1968    1.60    54        4.60      3.25
1974    2.00    46        4.06      3.72
1975    2.10    45        3.90      3.69
1976    2.30    46        4.04      3.52
1978    2.65    44        4.06      3.66
1979    2.90    45        4.00      3.52
1980    3.10    44        3.77      3.40
1981    3.35    43        3.68      2.57
1990    3.80    35        2.91      2.79
1991    4.25    38        3.12      ---

This chart shows that the minimum wage climbed in constant dollars until 1968. This essentially reflected the fact that the middle class as a whole was becoming richer as well, as the percentage of average earnings shows. After this, the minimum wage declined both in constant dollars and as a percentage of average earnings, reaching an all-time low during the Reagan years.

(The above chart is for jobs specified by Congress according to laws prior to 1966. Another category of jobs was specified by Congress after 1967, which had slightly different rates for the minimum wage. However, after 1978, these categories were unified under one wage.)

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