Only about 2% of workers may earn minimum wage, but the minimum wage serves as a kind of anchor that other very-low pay jobs base their pay on. Many major natio

Only about 2% of workers may earn minimum wage, but the minimum wage serves as a kind of anchor that other very-low pay jobs base their pay on. Many major national fast food chains (for example) pay like $8/hr which isn't technically minimum wage but is essentially the same, because if the minimum wage were $5/hr these jobs would probably similarly pay $6/hr or therabouts