Conservative Party (UK) others. Until 1999, Conservatives opposed the creation of a national minimum wage, as they believed it would cost jobs, and businesses would be reluctant to start business in the UK from fear of high labour costs. However the party have since pledged support and in the July 2015 budget, Chancellor George Osborne announced a national living wage of £9/hour, to be introduced by 2020, for those aged 25 and over. The National Minimum Wage in 2012 was £6.19 for over-21 year olds, so the proposed rises in National Living Wage by 2020 will represent a significantly higher pay for many.
Minimum wage law 2009, U.S. federal law requires a minimum wage of at least $7.25 per hour. Just over 5% of all hourly-paid workers (or approximately 1% of the total U.S. population) earn an hourly wage at or below the minimum wage. Washington has the highest minimum wage of any state in the U.S. at $9.19 per hour as of January 1, 2014; Oregon has the second highest at $9.10 per hour. Then Massachusetts with $9.00 per hour. The next highest state wage rates are in Connecticut, Illinois, Nevada, and the District of Columbia at $8.25 per hour, and then Vermont at $8.06