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Economy Matters

Mulling Over Wages

We'll wager that everyone who works for a living has a vested interest in wages. This quiz tests your knowledge of historical and contemporary information about what people get paid.

Sources: Question 1; Question 2; Question 3; Question 4; Question 5; Question 6; Question 7; Question 8; Question 9; Question 10

1. The first U.S. law setting a minimum wage was passed in 1912. Which state enacted the legislation?
California
Massachusetts
New York
2. The federal government established the first national minimum wage in 1938. What hourly minimum wage did it guarantee?
Twenty-five cents
Fifty cents
One dollar
3. In what state are women’s median weekly earnings closest to men's?
California
Hawaii
Connecticut
4. True or false: Workers who receive a substantial portion of their income from tips can be paid less than the minimum wage.
True
False
5. The federal minimum hourly wage moved to $7.25 in 2010. What was it in 1980?
$3.10
$4.10
$5.10
6. Which states had the highest and lowest real median hourly wages, respectively, in 2016?
Massachusetts and Alabama
Alaska and Mississippi
New York and West Virginia
7. True or false: Since 1998, median wage growth for workers aged 16–24 has outpaced that seen by workers aged 25–54.
True
False
8. What is the name of the Atlanta Fed's tool that measures wage growth?
Pay Check
Wage Watcher
Wage Growth Tracker
9. Which group of workers saw greater wage increases in 2017: those who remained with the same employer or those who changed employers?
Remained with same employer
Changed employers
10. How many states establish a minimum wage that is higher than the federal minimum?
6
19
29