Fair Labor Standards Act
Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938
§ LEGISLATIONlabor· 1938
What It Did
Established the first federal minimum wage (25 cents/hour), set the standard 40-hour work week, required overtime pay at time-and-a-half, and banned most child labor. Covered roughly 20% of the labor force at passage, with coverage expanding through subsequent amendments.
The Vote
House · 314–97 (passage)
D
252 YEA · 52 NAY
R
62 YEA · 45 NAY
Senate · 56–28 (passage)
D
49 YEA · 17 NAY
R
7 YEA · 11 NAY
Key Sponsors
→ Hugo Black (D-AL) · Senate
→ William P. Connery Jr. (D-MA) · House
Sources: Congress.gov · VoteView · FRED
In the Years Following
Economic indicators related to this law, showing 5 years before through 10 years after.
Federal Minimum Wage
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Manufacturing Employment
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Unemployment Rate
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Many factors influence economic outcomes. This chart shows trends in the years surrounding this legislation — not necessarily caused by it.