wutzkohphoto / Shutterstock.com
It’s been more than a decade since the federal minimum wage was increased. First enacted by Congress in 1938 at 25 cents per hour, the minimum wage last received a boost in 2009 when it went from $6.55 to $7.25. Despite calls to institute a $15-per-hour minimum wage — which is already paid by some major employers — the national minimum wage seems unlikely to change in 2022.