Minimum wage hasn't been raised since 2009

The federal minimum hourly wage is just $7.25, and Congress has not increased it since 2009. Low wages hurt all workers and are particularly harmful to Black workers and other workers of color, especially women of color, who make up a disproportionate share of workers who are severely underpaid. This is the result of structural racism and sexism, with an economic system rooted in chattel slavery in which these workers continue to be shunted into the most underpaid jobs. The Raise the Wage Act of 2023 would gradually raise the federal minimum wage to $17 an hour by 2028, narrowing racial and gender pay gaps.