The Fair Minimum Wage Act of 20077 amended the FLSA to increase the federal minimum wage in three steps: to $5.85 per hour effective July 24, 2007; to $6.55 per hour effective July 24, 2008; and to $7.25 per hour effective July 24, 2009.

Download compliant printable minimum wage poster.

The federal minimum wage increases to $5.85 per hour effective today. With this change, workers covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA - download FLSA PDFF) will be entitled to be paid no less than $5.85 per hour. The law also requires that workers be paid on their regular paydays for all hours worked during a pay period.

The Fair Minimum Wage Act of 20077 amended the FLSA to increase the federal minimum wage in three steps: to $5.85 per hour effective July 24, 2007; to $6.55 per hour effective July 24, 2008; and to $7.25 per hour effective July 24, 2009. A separate provision of the bill will bring about phased increases to the minimum wage in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and American Samoa, with the goal of bringing the minimum wage in those locations up to the general federal minimum wage over a number of years.

The department's Wage and Hour Division, which enforces the FLSA, has posted updated compliance assistance information on its Web site. Every employer subject to the FLSA minimum wage provisions must post, and keep posted, a notice explaining the FLSA's provisions in all of its establishments so that employees are readily able to read it. Click to download a new updated poster for printing.

A revised FLSA Handy Reference Guide (see topic links below) is also available electronically on the agency's Web site. This document provides guidance on related FLSA provisions, such as the payment of less than the full minimum wage to certain workers with disabilities, full-time students, and student learners who are employed under a special certificate. Additionally, the guide provides information on provisions relating to the payment of wages to tipped employees and workers under the age of 20.

Many states have minimum wage laws with provisions that differ from the federal law. When an employer is subject to both the federal and state wage laws, the employer must comply with the provisions of each law.

Reference Guide Topics:

1. Basic Wage Standards
2. Who is Covered?
3. Tipped Employees
4. Employer-Furnished Facilities
5. Industrial Homework
6. Subminimum Wage Provisions
7. Youth Minimum Wage
8. Exemptions
9. Youth Employment (Child Labor) Provisions
10. Nonagricultural Jobs (Youth Employment)
11. Farm Jobs (Youth Employment)
12. Recordkeeping
13. Terms Used in FLSA
14. Computing Overtime Pay
15. Enforcement
16. Recovery of Back Wages
17. Other Labor Laws
18. Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996 (SBREFA)
19. Equal Pay Provisions