how is the minimum wage justified 
the federal government has set a minimum wage since 1938 the goals were to stabilize the economy and to protect the health and well being of american workers it also addressed the needs of a substantial portion of the population low wage workers who lacked the bargaining power to demand a subsistence wage states and counties particularly those in parts of the country with high living costs set their own minimum wages at a higher level that the federal requirement of 7 25 2