The Mesopotamian civilization of Sumer emerges in the Ubaid period (6500-3800 BC) and Uruk period (ca. 4000 to 3100 BC), culminating in the mid-3rd millennium before giving rise to the Akkadian Empire in the 24th century BC. This is often identified as the first empire in history.
The 2015 Washington minimum wage is $9.47. Washington's minimum wage applies to workers in both agriculture and non-agricultural jobs, although 14- and 15-year-olds may be paid 85% of the minimum wage ($8.05). Read the September 30, 2014, news release. Print an announcement of the 2015 minimum wage.
The federal poverty level, the decrease in purchasing power and the higher cost of living in some areas resulted in 19 states and Washington, D.C., having already set a minimum wage of $7.25 an hour or more before 2010.