Santa Clara County is helping regulators deal with businesses that cheat workers out of wages but fail to settle that debt.

The federal minimum wage has been the same since 2009: $7.25 an hour.

The workers currently earn $7 an hour on average. Starting in July, they’ll make nearly $18 an hour before tips.

The entrepreneur behind a Florida cat cafe hopes 2023 brings reduced costs and many more adoptions.

Private-sector wages are up about 5% over the past year. But gains guaranteed by government can’t be lost during an economic downturn.

“What gives me hope is something that seemed impossible in 2012 is now very possible,” Henry told Marketplace.

The federal minimum wage has been changed since 2009, when Congress raised it from $6.55 to $7.25 an hour.

A record number of states and cities are raising their minimum wage this year, according to a tally from the National Employment Law Project.

Will employers notice? Many are already raising wages for their workers because of the labor crunch.

UC Berkeley Economist David Card reflects on his now Nobel Prize winning research.