This is good argument for increasing minimum wage. The federal minimum wage is still only $7.25. Inflation adjusted, it has been decreasing since 1968 [1]. Once you factor in rising healthcare spending, which has gone up by 5.5x in the same timeframe (inflation adjusted) [2], the problem is further compounded.

Given the high GDP growth in the same time frame, it feels like a big miss by the federal government.

1. https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2019/business/us-minimum-wag...

2. https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/u-s-spe...