Ever wondered what the minimum wage would be if it had kept pace with inflation and productivity like it used to? Here’s a hint: $7.25, and even $15.00, don’t come close. Economist Dean Baker has been crunching the numbers on the minimum wage for years. He joins the podcast this week to share what he’s found and why it matters. Since the publication of this episode, the Center for Economic and Policy Research issued a correction to Dean Baker’s August 2021 report that a minimum wage that kept up with productivity would be $26 per hour. In fact, it would be $23 per hour. 

Dean Baker is a Senior Economist at the Center for Economic and Policy Research.

Twitter: @DeanBaker13

Further reading: 

This is What Minimum Wage Would Be If It Kept Pace with Productivity https://cepr.net/this-is-what-minimum-wage-would-be-if-it-kept-pace-with-productivity/ 

Work Should Pay: A $15 an Hour Minimum Wage Is a Start

https://cepr.net/work-should-pay-a-15-an-hour-minimum-wage-is-a-start/ 

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