Federal Minimum Wage Increased To $7.25

The U. S. Department of Labor announced in a News Release that effective July 24, 2009 the federal minimum wage increased to $7.25, and, with this change, employees who are covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) will be entitled to pay no less than $7.25 per hour.  According to the News Release, the increase is the last of three provided by the enactment of the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007.  The Department stated that the increase will directly benefit workers in multiple states, including Texas, where the state minimum wage is currently at or below the federal minimum wage, or there is no state minimum wage.  In addition, the Department stated that a family with a full-time wage earner would see its monthly income increase by $120, and that is more than a week’s worth of groceries for an average family of four or more than one week’s utility bills.  Further information on this subject may be found in the agency’s website at http://www.wagehour.dol.gov .