MINIMUM WAGE IS LOWER THAN IN 1968 IN REAL TERMS

“ ‘The root cause from our perspective is reduced bargaining power,’ says Josh Bivens, research and policy director at the liberal-leaning Economic Policy Institute. Labor union membership has shrunk, and governors across the nation have been successful in weakening the bargaining power of public sector unions, he notes. That, he said, is a major reason the minimum wage, in real terms, is lower than it was in 1968, while productivity has increased 80 percent since then.”

Susan Milligan, “The New Economic Issue, With the Economy Improving, Candidates Across the Political Spectrum Are Focusing on Income Inequality,” U.S. News & World Report, May 1, 2015.