A majority of Americans favor an eventual increase in the federal minimum wage. Six in ten adults, including majorities in nearly every demographic group, believe it should be raised to $15 an hour.
This is pointed out by a Pew Research Center survey published in April, which notes that this popular support will not necessarily translate into government action, as proposals for an increase have been stuck in Congress for a decade. If approved, it would mean doubling it since 2009 has remained at $ 7.25 per hour.
While the organization surveyed the general public, the findings suggest that partisan divisions among lawmakers mirror those of Americans as a whole.
Thus, more than seven in ten Republicans and Republican-leaning independents - 72 percent - oppose raising the wage to $15 an hour, including 45 percent who strongly oppose it.
Meanwhile, 87 percent of Democrats and Democratic supporters say they favor such an increase -- including 61 percent who strongly favor it.
After 197 countries and autonomous territories were examined by the Center, it was found that the U.S. is one of the few countries where the legislature has primary responsibility for setting minimum wages.
Thus, the results found that only 17 countries - about 10 percent of those with minimum wage systems - set their rates by law, which - as the U.S. experience shows - can make it difficult to update them.
How is the minimum wage increase set?
In at least 115 countries, minimum wages are set by central government or an official - a minister of labour - through regulation, order or decree, usually in accordance with some authorizing law, the study says.
In about three-quarters of these countries, government action is supposed to follow only after input from workers' and employers' organizations, ranging from unspecified "consultations" to formal recommendations by boards or commissions set up for that purpose.
At least 80 countries where minimum wages are set by or in accordance with national legislation have an explicit requirement to review them eventually, in most cases annually or once every two years.
However, the U.S. has no legal requirement to do so, although states, counties and cities can set their own minimum wage rates.
Thus, the federal minimum wage of $7.25 is actually used in only 21 of the 50 U.S. states, which together account for about 40 percent of the nation's wage earners.
The other 29 states, as well as the District of Columbia among several other cities and counties, have higher minimum wages, such as Emeryville, California, where it is $16.84 an hour.
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