Every Job Should Pay a Living Wage
NELP is fighting to raise the wage floor so it reaches a true living wage that people and families can live on.
Paychecks That Sustain People and Families
Good jobs that pay a living wage are the foundation of an economy that works for everyone.
But today, workers are being squeezed by rising prices and low pay. Corporations reap record profits yet choose to severely underpay their workers. Millions of people are working full-time or more but struggle to afford the basics; many must take on second or third jobs to scrape by.
NELP is fighting for higher pay that people and families can live on.
We’re advocating to:
- Raise the minimum wage and expand coverage at the federal, state, and local levels—to move the minimum wage closer to a living wage.
- Make more workers eligible for overtime pay, so they are properly paid for the long hours they put in.
- Let cities and counties set their own higher labor standards—opposing state “preemption” laws that block cities and counties from adopting higher local minimum wages and other pro-worker policies.
Congress Needs to Raise the Federal Minimum Wage
The federal minimum hourly wage is just $7.25. Congress has not increased it since 2009—15 years ago and counting.
Low wages hurt all workers and are particularly harmful to Black workers and other workers of color—especially women—who make up a disproportionate share of workers who are severely underpaid.
It’s time that elected lawmakers in Congress pass the Raise the Wage Act, to gradually raise the federal minimum wage to $17 an hour by 2028 and end the subminimum wage for tipped workers and disabled workers.
Minimum Wage: By the Numbers
per hour is the federal minimum wage; it hasn’t gone up in 15 years.
states follow the federal minimum wage; they have not raised wages above $7.25.
per hour is the federal subminimum wage for tipped workers; it hasn’t changed since 1991.
Expand Overtime Pay Rights to More Workers
Millions of workers are not receiving overtime pay despite working more than 40 hours a week. The erosion of overtime pay is a key factor in the deterioration of middle-class wages and living standards.
Reform of the nation’s overtime rules is much needed and long overdue. We want to make more workers eligible for overtime pay, by fighting to:
- Raise the overtime salary threshold (currently $35,568 a year); the higher the threshold, the more people below it who will qualify for overtime pay.
- End overtime pay exclusions that block millions of workers, including teachers and farmworkers, from getting overtime pay no matter how many hours they work.
Explore More
Raise the Minimum Wage and Expand Coverage
Find out what wage campaigns are happening at the federal, state, and local levels around the country.
Broaden and Strengthen Overtime Pay Protections
We’re fighting to make more workers eligible for overtime pay under federal law, and we’re urging states to restore overtime pay to farmworkers, education workers, and others long excluded.
Fight Preemption of Local Minimum Wage Laws
Some state legislatures are blocking local communities from adopting higher wage standards and other worker protections.
FAQ: Understanding the Minimum Wage
Related Research
The Case for Raising Wages and Improving Benefits at New York and New Jersey Airports
Policy & Data Brief
In Support of Minimum Wage Increases for the City of Boulder
Testimony
Terrence Wise, Fast Food Worker
Worker Voices