US Federal Minimum Wage Falls Below Poverty Line

In 2025, the US federal minimum wage officially falls below the poverty line. A full-time worker's annual earnings are now less than the poverty threshold, highlighting the inadequacy of the current minimum wage. While raising the minimum wage is a proven method to improve low-wage workers' economic security and reduce poverty, congressional Republicans are pushing for cuts to social safety nets like Medicaid. The article compares official and supplemental poverty measures, revealing a significantly higher poverty rate among workers using the latter. Many states have raised their minimum wages above the federal level, but Southern states, with their low minimum wages, see lower worker earnings and higher poverty. Raising the minimum wage boosts earnings and reduces poverty, while Republican policies exacerbate the issue.