The minimum wage is the minimum rate a worker can legally be paid (usually per hour) as set by statute. It is different from the lowest wage determined by the forces of supply and demand in a free market. In most cases, the minimum wage acts as a price floor. Each country sets its own minimum wage laws and regulations, and many countries have no minimum wage.

The first attempt at establishing a minimum wage in the United States came in 1933, when a $.25-per-hour standard was set as part of the National Recovery Act. However, in 1935 the United States Supreme Court declared the National Recovery Act unconstitutional, and the minimum wage was abolished.

The minimum wage was re-established in the United States in 1938 (pursuant to the Fair Labor Standards Act), once again at $.25 per hour ($3.22 in 2005 dollars.) It had its highest purchasing value ever in 1968, when it was $1.60/hour ($8.85 in 2005 dollars.)

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