document_title: Olympic medal

question_text: what is the olympic silver medal made out of

text: Olympic medal

text: Introduction and early history[edit]

text: The olive wreath was the prize for the winner at the Ancient Olympic Games. It was an olive branch, off the wild-olive tree that grew at Olympia,[1] intertwined to form a circle or a horse-shoe. According to Pausanias it was introduced by Heracles as a prize for the winner of the running race to honour Zeus.[2]

text: When the modern Olympic Games began in 1896 medals started to be given to successful olympian competitors. However, gold medals were not awarded at the inaugural Olympics in 1896 in Athens, Greece.[3] The winners were instead given a silver medal and an olive branch,[4] while runners-up received a laurel branch and a copper or bronze medal.[5] In 1900, most winners received cups or trophies instead of medals.

text: The custom of the sequence of gold, silver, and bronze for the first three places dates from the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis, Missouri in the United States. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has retroactively assigned gold, silver and bronze medals to the three best placed athletes in each event of the 1896 and 1900 Games.[6][7] If there is a tie for any of the top three places all competitors are entitled to receive the appropriate medal according to IOC rules.[8] Some combat sports (such as boxing, judo, taekwondo and wrestling) award two bronze medals per competition, resulting in, overall, more bronze medals being awarded than the other colours.

text: Medals are not the only awards given to competitors; every athlete placed first to eighth receives an Olympic diploma. Also, at the main host stadium, the names of all medal winners are written onto a wall.[8] Finally, as noted below, all athletes receive a participation medal and diploma.

text: Production and design[edit]

text: The IOC dictates the physical properties of the medals and has the final decision about the finished design. Specifications for the medals are developed along with the National Olympic Committee (NOC) hosting the Games, though the IOC has brought in some set rules:[8][9]

text:
Recipients: The top three competitors receive medals
Shape: Usually circular, featuring an attachment for a chain or ribbon
Diameter: A minimum of 60 mm
Thickness: A minimum of 3 mm
Material:

First place (the Gold medal): It is composed of silver of at least .925 grade, plated with 6 grams of gold.
Second place (the Silver medal): .925 silver.[10]
Third place (the Bronze medal): It is 97.0% copper with 0.5% tin and 2.5% zinc; the metal value was about US$3 in 2010.[11]

Event details: The sport for which the medal has been awarded should be written on the medal

text: The first Olympic medals in 1896 were designed by French sculptor Jules-Clément Chaplain and depicted Zeus holding Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, on the obverse and the Acropolis on the reverse.[3] They were made by the Paris Mint, which also made the medals for the 1900 Olympic Games, hosted by Paris. This started the tradition of giving the responsibility of minting the medals to the host city. For the next few Olympiads the host city also chose the medal design. Until 1912 the gold medals were made of solid gold.[12]

text: Trionfo[edit]

text: In 1923 the International Olympic Committee (IOC) launched a competition for sculptors to design the medals for the Summer Olympic Games. Giuseppe Cassioli's Trionfo design was chosen as the winner in 1928.[3][13][14] The obverse brought back Nike but this time as the main focus, holding a winner's crown and palm with a depiction of the Colosseum in the background.[13] In the top right section of the medal a space was left for the name of the Olympic host and the Games numeral. The reverse features a crowd of people carrying a triumphant athlete. His winning design was first presented at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. The competition saw this design used for 40 years until the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich became the first Games with a different design for the reverse side of the medal.[3]

text: Cassioli's design continued to inspire the obverse of the medal for many more years, though recreated each time, with the Olympic host and numeral updated. The obverse remained true to the Trionfo design until the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, where the IOC allowed an updated version to be created. For the next few events they mandated the use of the Nike motif but allowed other aspects to change.[9] The trend ended in 2004 due to the negative publicity in reaction to the design of medal for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. Wojciech Pietranik, the designer of the medal, along with the organisers of the Games were criticised by the Greek press for using the Roman Colosseum rather than the Greek Parthenon.[3][15] Pietranik's original design had featured the Sydney Opera House on the obverse but the IOC concluded that it should be replaced by the Colosseum and a chariot rider. He made the changes and, despite the criticism, the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games decided to continue with the design as it was, noting that there was insufficient time to complete another version and that it would be too costly.[9] The error had remained for 76 years until a new style depicting the Panathinaiko Stadium was introduced at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.[16] This new obverse design would go on to be used at the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Games.

text: Custom reverse designs[edit]

text: The German Olympic Committee, Nationales Olympisches Komitee für Deutschland, were the first Summer Games organisers to elect to change the reverse of the medal. The 1972 design was created by Gerhard Marcks, an artist from the Bauhaus, and features mythological twins Castor and Pollux.[17] Since then the Organising Committee of the host city has been given the freedom of the design of the reverse, with the IOC giving final approval.

text: Comparison between Summer and Winter[edit]

text: The IOC has the final decision on the specifications of each design for all Olympic medals, including the Summer Games, Winter Games, and Paralympic Games. There has been a greater variety of design for the Winter Games; unlike with the Summer Games, the IOC never mandated one particular design. The medal at the inaugural 1924 Winter Olympics in Chamonix, France did not even feature the Olympic rings. Nike was featured on the medals of the 1932 and 1936 Games but has only appeared on one medal design since then. One regular motif is the use of the snowflake, while laurel leaves and crowns appear on several designs. The Olympic motto Citius, Altius, Fortius features on four Winter Games medals but does not appear on any Summer Games medal.

text: For three events in a row, hosts of the Winter Games included different materials in the medals: glass (1992), sparagmite (1994), and lacquer (1998). It was not until the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China that a Summer Olympic host chose to use something different, in this case jade. While every Summer Olympic medal except for the 1900 Games has been circular, the shapes of the Winter Games have been considerably more varied. The Winter Games medals are also generally larger, thicker, and heavier than those for the Summer Games.

text: Individual design details[edit]

text: Summer Olympic medal designs[edit]

text: Details about the medals from each of the Summer Olympic Games:[17][18]

text:
Games
Host
Details
Designer(s)
Mint
Diameter
(mm)
Thickness
(mm)
Weight
(g)
image

1896
Athens, Greece
Obverse: Zeus holding Nike
Reverse: The Acropolis
Chaplain, Jules-ClémentJules-Clément Chaplain
Paris Mint
48
3.8
047

1900
Paris, France
Obverse: Winged goddess holding laurel branches; Paris in the background
Reverse: A victorious athlete holding a laurel branch; the Acropolis in the background
Note: The only Summer Olympic medal that is not circular
Vernon, FrédériqueFrédérique Vernon
Paris Mint
59 x 41
3.2
053

1904
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Obverse: Nike holding a laurel crown and a palm leaf
Reverse: An athlete holding a laurel crown; Greek temple in the background
Dieges & Clust
Dieges & Clust
37.8
3.5
021

1908
London, Great Britain
Obverse: An athlete receiving a laurel crown from two female figures
Reverse: Saint George atop a horse
Edge: "Vaughton", event name and winner
Mackennal, BertramBertram Mackennal
Vaughton & Sons
33
4.4
021

1912
Stockholm, Sweden
Obverse: An athlete receiving a laurel crown from two female figures
Reverse: A herald opening the Games with a statue of Pehr Henrik Ling behind him
Mackennal, BertramBertram Mackennal (obverse)
Erik Lindberg (reverse)
C.C. Sporrong & Co
33.4
1.5
024

1920
Antwerp, Belgium
Obverse: An athlete holding a laurel crown and a palm leaf
Reverse: Statue of Silvius Brabo
Edge: Name, event, team, "Antwerp", and the date
Dupon, JosuéJosué Dupon
Coosmans
59
4.4
079

1924
Paris, France
Obverse: An athlete helping another to stand
Reverse: A harp and various items of sports equipment
Rivaud, AndréAndré Rivaud
Paris Mint
55
4.8
079

1928
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Design: Trionfo
Note: This obverse design, sometimes recreated, remains until 2004, the reverse design remained until 1972
Cassioli, GiuseppeGiuseppe Cassioli
Dutch State Mint
55
3
066

1932
Los Angeles, U.S.
Design: Trionfo
Cassioli, GiuseppeGiuseppe Cassioli
Whitehead & Hoag
55.3
5.7
096

1936
Berlin, Germany
Design: Trionfo
"B.H MAYER PFORZHEIM 990"
Cassioli, GiuseppeGiuseppe Cassioli
B.H. Mayer
55
5
071

1948
London, Great Britain
Design: Trionfo
Cassioli, GiuseppeGiuseppe Cassioli
John Pinches
51.4
5.1
060

1952
Helsinki, Finland
Design: Trionfo
Edge: 916 M / Y6 (Factory Stamp)
Cassioli, GiuseppeGiuseppe Cassioli
Kultakeskus Oy
51
4.8
046.5

1956
Melbourne, Australia
Design: Trionfo
Cassioli, GiuseppeGiuseppe Cassioli
K.G. Luke
51
4.8
068

1960
Rome, Italy
Design: Trionfo
Surround: A bronze laurel wreath and laurel leaf chain
Cassioli, GiuseppeGiuseppe Cassioli
Artistice Fiorentini
68
6.5
211

1964
Tokyo, Japan
Design: Trionfo
Cassioli, GiuseppeGiuseppe Cassioli and Koshiba, ToshikakaToshikaka Koshiba
Japan Mint
60
7.5
062

1968
Mexico City, Mexico
Design: Trionfo
Cassioli, GiuseppeGiuseppe Cassioli

60
6
130

1972
Munich, Germany
Obverse: Trionfo
Reverse: Castor and Pollux, twin sons of Zeus and Leda
Edge: Winner's name and sport
Cassioli, GiuseppeGiuseppe Cassioli (obverse)
Marcks, GerhardGerhard Marcks (reverse)
Bavarian Mint
66
6.5
102

1976
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Obverse: Trionfo
Reverse: A stylised laurel crown and the Montreal Games logo
Edge: Name of the sport
Cassioli, GiuseppeGiuseppe Cassioli (obverse)
Royal Canadian Mint
60
5.8
154

1980
Moscow, Russia
Obverse: Trionfo
Reverse: A stylised Olympic flame and the Moscow Games logo
Cassioli, GiuseppeGiuseppe Cassioli (obverse)
Postol, IlyaIlya Postol (reverse)
Moscow Mint
60
6.8
125

1984
Los Angeles, U.S.
Obverse: Trionfo
Reverse:An Olympic champion held aloft by a crowd
Note: The reverse returns to the Cassioli design
Cassioli, GiuseppeGiuseppe Cassioli
Jostens, Inc
60
7.9
141

1988
Seoul, South Korea
Obverse: Trionfo
Reverse: An outline of a dove carrying a laurel branch and the Seoul Olympic logo
Cassioli, GiuseppeGiuseppe Cassioli (obverse)
Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation
60
7
152

1992
Barcelona, Spain
Obverse: Updated interpretation of Trionfo
Reverse: Barcelona Games logo
Corbero, XavierXavier Corbero
Royal Mint of Spain
70
9.8
231

1996
Atlanta, U.S.
Obverse: Updated interpretation of Trionfo
Reverse: A stylised olive branch, the Atlanta Games logo, and "Centennial Olympic Games"
Edge: "Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games"
Malcolm Grear Designers
Reed & Barton
70
5
181

2000
Sydney, Australia
Obverse: Updated interpretation of Trionfo
Reverse: The Sydney Opera House, Olympic Flame, and Olympic rings
Edge: Event name
Pietranik, WojciechWojciech Pietranik
Royal Australian Mint
68
5
180

2004
Athens, Greece
Obverse: Nike with Panathinaiko Stadium in the background
Reverse: The Olympic Flame, the opening lines of Pindar's Eighth Olympic Ode, and the Athens Games logo
Votsi, ElenaElena Votsi

60
5
135

2008
Beijing, China
Obverse: Nike with Panathinaiko Stadium in the background
Reverse: a jade ring with the Beijing Games logo in the centre and the event details on the outer edge
Yong, XiaoXiao Yong[19]
China Banknote Printing and Minting Corporation
70
6
200

2012
London, United Kingdom
Obverse: Nike with Panathinaiko Stadium in the background
Reverse: The River Thames and the London Games logo with angled lines in the background
Watkins, DavidDavid Watkins
Royal Mint
85
8–10
357–412[20]

2016
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Obverse: Nike with Panathinaiko Stadium in the background
Reverse: The Rio 2016 logo and name, surrounded by a laurel leaf design in the form of the wreaths
Edge: The name of the event for which the medal was won is engraved by laser along the outside edge.
Note: For the first time, the medals are slightly thicker at their central point compared with their edges.[21]

Casa da Moeda do Brasil
85
6-11[22]
500[23]

text: Winter Olympic medal designs[edit]

text: Details about the medals from each of the Winter Olympic Games:[3][24]

text:
Games
Host
Details
Designer(s)
Mint[8]
Diameter
(mm)
Thickness
(mm)
Weight
(g)
Image

1924
Chamonix, France
Obverse: A skier holding skates and skis and the designer's name
Reverse: Written information about the Games
Bernard, RaoulRaoul Bernard
Paris Mint
055
04
075

1928
St. Moritz, Switzerland
Obverse: A skater surrounded by snowflakes
Reverse: Olive branches and host details
Hunerwadel, ArnoldArnold Hunerwadel
Huguenin Frères
050.4
03
051

1932
Lake Placid, U.S.
Obverse: Nike with the Adirondack Mountains in the background
Reverse: Laurel leaves and written host details
Shape: Circular but not with a straight edge

Robbins Company
055
03
051

1936
Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
Obverse: Nike atop a horse-drawn chariot traversing an arch over winter sporting equipment
Reverse: Large Olympic rings
Klein, RichardRichard Klein
Deschler & Sohn
100
04
324

1948
St. Moritz, Switzerland
Obverse: The Olympic torch with snowflakes in the background and the Olympic motto Citius, Altius, Fortius
Reverse: A snowflake and written host details
Droz, Paul AndrePaul Andre Droz
Huguenin Frères
060.2
03.8
103

1952
Oslo, Norway
Obverse: The Olympic torch and the Olympic motto Citius, Altius, Fortius
Reverse: A pictogram of Oslo City Hall with three snowflakes and written host details
Falireus, VasosVasos Falireus and Yvan, KnutKnut Yvan
Th. Marthinsen
070
03
137.5

1956
Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy
Obverse: An "ideal woman" and written host details
Reverse: A large snowflake with Pomagagnon in the background, the Olympic motto Citius, Altius, Fortius, and further host details
Affer, CostanttinoCostanttino Affer
Lorioli Bros.
060.2
03
120.5

1960
Squaw Valley, U.S.
Obverse: The head of a male and female with host details written around them
Reverse: Large Olympic rings, the Olympic motto Citius, Altius, Fortius, and the name of the sport
Jones, HerffHerff Jones
Herff Jones Company
055.3
04.3
095

1964
Innsbruck, Austria
Obverse: Torlauf Mountains, "Innsbruck 1964", and "Torlauf"
Reverse: The Olympic rings above the emblem of Innsbruck with host details around them
Coufal, MarthaMartha Coufal (obverse)
Zegler, ArthurArthur Zegler (reverse)
Austrian Mint
072
04
110

1968
Grenoble, France
Obverse: Three snowflakes and the red rose emblem of Grenoble surrounded by host details
Reverse: A stylised image of each sport
Excoffon, RogerRoger Excoffon
Paris Mint
061
03.3
124

1972
Sapporo, Japan
Obverse: Pictogram of lines in the snow
Reverse: A snowflake, the sun, and the Olympic rings
Shape: Square with rounded, wavy lines
Kazumi, YagiYagi Kazumi (obverse)
Tanaka, IkkoIkko Tanaka (reverse)
Mint Bureau of the Finance Ministry
057.3 x 61.3
05
130

1976
Innsbruck, Austria
Obverse: The Olympic rings above the emblem of Innsbruck with host details around them
Reverse: The Alps, Bergisel, and the Olympic flame
Coufal, MarthaMartha Coufal (obverse)
Zegler, ArthurArthur Zegler (reverse)
Austrian Mint
070
05.4
164

1980
Lake Placid, U.S.
Obverse: The Olympic torch held in front of the Adirondack Mountains
Reverse: A pine cone sprig and the Lake Placid logo
Gladys Gunzer
Medallic Art Company
081
06.1
205

1984
Sarajevo, Yugoslavia
Obverse: Event logo with host details surrounding it
Reverse: An athletes head wearing a laurel crown
Shape: Circular but set in a large rounded rectangular shape
Mitrić, NebojšaNebojša Mitrić
Zlatara Majdanpek and Zavod za izradu novčanica
71.1 x 65.1
03.1
164

1988
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Obverse: Event logo with host details surrounding it
Reverse: Two people, one wearing a laurel and the other wearing a headdress made up of winter sports equipment
Peter, FridrichFridrich Peter
Jostens
069
05
193

1992
Albertville, France
Obverse: Glass set into the metal, showing the Olympic rings in front of mountains
Reverse: Rear side of glass section
Lalique, RenéRené Lalique
René Lalique
092
09.1
169

1994
Lillehammer, Norway
Sparagmite partially covered in gold, one side showing the Olympic rings and host details, the other depicting the sport in which the medal was won and the Games emblem
Hanevold, IngjerdIngjerd Hanevold
Th. Marthinsen
080
08.5
131

1998
Nagano, Japan
Obverse: Partly lacquered, shows the Games emblem
Reverse: Mainly lacquer, containing the Games emblem over the Shinshu mountains
Ito, TakeshiTakeshi Ito
Kiso Kurashi Craft Center
080
08
261

2002
Salt Lake City, U.S.
Obverse: An athlete carrying the Olympic torch steps out of flames
Reverse: Nike holding a victory leaf surrounded by event details
Shape: Irregular circle, like the rocks in Utah's rivers
Given, ScottScott Given, Axiom Design
O.C. Tanner
085
10
567

2006
Turin, Italy
Obverse: Graphic elements of the Games
Reverse: Pictogram of the specific event
Shape: Circular with a hole representing a piazza
Quatrini, DarioDario Quatrini
Ottaviani
107
10
469

2010
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Obverse: An individually cropped section of a large First Nations artwork (orca or raven), making each medal unique
Reverse: Emblem of the Games and event details
Shape: Circular but with undulations stopping it from being flat
Hunt, CorrineCorrine Hunt and Arbel, OmerOmer Arbel
Royal Canadian Mint
100
06
500–576

2014
Sochi, Russian Federation
Obverse: "Patchwork quilt" design representing different regions of Russia
Reverse: Name of the competition in English and the Sochi logo
Shape: Circular
ADAMAS
ADAMAS[25]
100
10
460, 525, 531

2018
Pyeongchang County, South Korea
Hangul "symbolising the effort of athletes from around the world"[26]
Lee Suk-woo

92.5

586, 580, 493

text: Participation medals[edit]

text: Since the beginning of the modern Olympics the athletes and their support staffs, event officials, and certain volunteers involved in planning and managing the games have received commemorative medals and diplomas. Like the winners' medals, these are changed for each Olympiad, with different ones issued for the summer and winter games.[27]

text: Gallery[edit]

text:
Reverse of the plaque from the 1900 Olympic Games in France

James Graves wearing a bronze medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics, the last version of the Trionfo design

Vincent Hancock with his gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics, the heaviest Summer Olympics medal prior to the 2016 Rio Olympics[28]

text: Presentation[edit]

text: The presentation of the medals and awards changed significantly until the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles brought in what has now become standard. Before 1932 all the medals were awarded at the closing ceremony, with the athletes wearing evening dress for the first few Games. Originally the presenting dignitary was stationary while the athletes filed past to receive their medals. The victory podium was introduced upon the personal instruction in 1931 of Henri de Baillet-Latour, who had seen one used at the 1930 British Empire Games.[29] The winner is in the middle at a higher elevation, with the silver medallist to the right and the bronze to the left.[29] At the 1932 Winter Olympics, medals were awarded in the closing ceremony, with athletes for each event in turn mounting the first-ever podium. At the Summer Olympics, competitors in the Coliseum received their medals immediately after each event for the first time; competitors at other venues came to the Coliseum next day to receive their medals.[8][29] Later Games have had a victory podium at each competition venue.

text: The 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy were the first in which the medals were placed around the neck of the athletes. The medals hung from a chain of laurel leaves, while they are now hung from a coloured ribbon.[17] When Athens hosted the 2004 Summer Olympics the competitors on the podium also received an olive wreath crown. In the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, each medalist received a wooden statuette of the Olympic logo.[30]


document_title: Minimum wage in the United States

question_text: when was the national minimum wage last raised

question_tokens: when was the national minimum wage last raised

root

text: Minimum wage in the United States

text: History[edit]

text: 20th century[edit]

text: This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (April 2017)

tag: table

text: In 1912, Massachusetts organized a commission to recommend non-compulsory minimum wages for women and children. Within eight years, at least thirteen U.S. states and the District of Columbia would pass minimum wage laws, with pressure being placed on state legislatures by the National Consumers League in a coalition with other women's voluntary associations and organized labor.[5][6] The United States Supreme Court of the Lochner era consistently invalidated compulsory minimum wage laws. Advocates for these minimum wage laws hoped that they would be upheld under the precedent of Muller v. Oregon, which had upheld maximum working hours laws for women on the grounds that women required special protection which men did not.[6] However, the Court did not extend this principle to minimum wage laws, considering the latter as interfering with the ability of employers to freely negotiate wage contracts with employees.[5]:518

tag: p

text:
No business which depends for existence on paying less than living wages to its workers has any right to continue in this country.

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 1933[7]

tag: div

text: In 1933, the Roosevelt administration made the first attempt at establishing a national minimum wage, when a $0.25 per hour standard was set as part of the National Industrial Recovery Act. However, in the 1935 court case Schechter Poultry Corp. v. United States (295 U.S. 495), the US Supreme Court declared the act unconstitutional, and the minimum wage was abolished. In 1938, the minimum wage was re-established pursuant to the Fair Labor Standards Act, once again at $0.25 per hour ($4.23 in 2015 dollars[8]). In 1941, the Supreme Court upheld the Fair Labor Standards Act in United States v. Darby Lumber Co., holding that Congress had the power under the Commerce Clause to regulate employment conditions.[9]

text: The 1938 minimum wage law only applied to "employees engaged in interstate commerce or in the production of goods for interstate commerce," but in amendments in 1961 and 1966, the federal minimum wage was extended (with slightly different rates) to employees in large retail and service enterprises, local transportation and construction, state and local government employees, as well as other smaller expansions; a grandfather clause in 1990 drew most employees into the purview of federal minimum wage policy, which now set the wage at $3.80.[10]

text: Legislation, 21st century[edit]

text: In 2006, voters in six states (Arizona, Colorado, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, and Ohio) approved statewide increases in the state minimum wage. The amounts of these increases ranged from $1 to $1.70 per hour and all increases were designed to annually index to inflation.[11] Some politicians in the United States have advocated linking the minimum wage to the Consumer Price Index, thereby increasing the wage automatically each year based on increases to the Consumer Price Index. So far, Ohio, Oregon, Missouri, Vermont and Washington have linked their minimum wages to the consumer price index. Minimum wage indexing also takes place each year in Florida, San Francisco, California, and Santa Fe, New Mexico.[citation needed]

text: The federal minimum wage in the United States was reset to its current rate of $7.25 per hour in July 2009.[10] Some U.S. territories (such as American Samoa) are exempt. Some types of labor are also exempt: employers may pay tipped labor a minimum of $2.13 per hour, as long as the hour wage plus tip income equals at least the minimum wage. Persons under the age of 20 may be paid $4.25 an hour for the first 90 calendar days of employment (sometimes known as a youth, teen, or training wage) unless a higher state minimum exists.[12] The 2009 increase was the last of three steps of the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007, which was signed into law as a rider to the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act, 2007, a bill that also contained almost $5 billion in tax cuts for small businesses.

text: In April 2014, the U.S. Senate debated the Minimum Wage Fairness Act (S. 1737; 113th Congress). The bill would have amended the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) to increase the federal minimum wage for employees to $10.10 per hour over the course of a two-year period.[13] The bill was strongly supported by President Barack Obama and many of the Democratic Senators, but strongly opposed by Republicans in the Senate and House.[14][15][16] Later in 2014, voters in the Republican-controlled states of Alaska, Arkansas, Nebraska and South Dakota considered ballot initiatives to raise the minimum wage above the national rate of $7.25 per hour, which were successful in all 4 states. The results provided evidence that raising minimum wage has support across party lines.[17]

text: Since 2012, a growing protest and advocacy movement called "Fight for $15", initially growing out of fast food worker strikes, has advocated for an increase in the minimum wage. On March 27, 2014, Connecticut passed legislation to raise the minimum wage from $8.70 to $10.10 by 2017, making it one of about six states to aim at or above $10.00 per hour.[18] In 2014 and 2015, several cities, including San Francisco, Seattle, Los Angeles, and Washington passed ordinances that gradually increase the minimum wage to $15.00.[19][20] In 2016, New York and California passed legislation that would gradually raise the minimum wage to $15 in each state.[21][22]

text: As of 2017, recent legislation was passed in multiple states to raise the minimum wage a certain amount in a certain amount of time. California is set to raise their minimum wage to $15.00/hour by January 1, 2023.[23] Colorado is set to raise their minimum wage from $9.30/hour to $12/hour by January 1, 2020, raising $0.90 per year.[24] Seattle passed legislation in 2015 for a raise in minimum wage; for employers of 500 or more employees without heath benefits, the minimum wage will be raised to $15.00/hour by 2017, for employees with heath benefits, the minimum wage will raise to $15.00/hour by 2018, for smaller employees the $15.00/hour wage will be reached at different times. Seattle is one of the first cities to put in place a plan that after $15.00/hour wage is reached, they will continue to increase minimum wage by a certain percentage every year based on inflation changes.[25] New York has also recently passed legislation to increase their minimum wage to $15.00/hour over time, certain counties and larger companies are set on faster plans than others.[26] As there have only been a few places mentioned, cities and states across the United States are putting in place certain legislation to increase the minimum wage for minimum wage workers to a livable wage. Time will only tell the effects on the economy and number of jobs in those cities and states.[27]

text: Local ordinances[edit]

text: On June 2, 2014, the City Council of Seattle, Washington was the first city to pass a local ordinance to increase the minimum wage of the city to $15.00 per hour,[28] which will be phased in over seven years, to be fully implemented by 2021.[29] Numerous cities have followed Seattle's example since. San Francisco is expected to become the first U.S. city to reach a minimum wage of $15.00 per hour on July 1, 2018. [30] New York City's minimum wage will be $15.00 per hour by the end of 2018.[31] The minimum wage in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., will be $15.00 per hour in 2020.[32][33] A growing number of California cities have enacted local minimum wage ordinances, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, Emeryville, Mountain View, Richmond, and San Jose.

text: In September 2014, the Los Angeles City Council approved a minimum salary for hotel workers of $15.37 per hour.[34] In April 2016, The Los Angeles Times reported that there is an exemption for unionised workers, and interviewed longtime workers at unionised Sheraton Universal who make $10.00 per hour, whereas non-union employees at a non-union Hilton a few feet away make at least the $15.37 mandated by law for non-unionised employees.[35] Similar exemptions have been adopted in San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, and Santa Monica.

text: On August 18, 2015, the El Cerrito City Council directed city staff to draft a local minimum wage ordinance based on a template provided by a coalition for a county-wide minimum wage effort. The details are not final, but the Council discussed an initial increase of roughly 28–36% ($11.52 – $12.25 or more) by January 1, 2016, with annual increases that will result in a $15.00 hourly wage rate by 2018–2020. The Council did not direct staff to create small business exemptions (or any other exemptions), but a slower phase-in rate may be considered for employees of small businesses. The city will have outreach for residents and business owners to discuss the details of the proposed ordinance. Staff hopes to present a draft for The Council's approval as early as October or November 2015.[36]

text: Union exemptions[edit]

text: As of December 2014, unions were exempt from recent minimum wage increases in Chicago, Illinois, SeaTac, Washington, and Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, as well as the California cities of Los Angeles, San Francisco, Long Beach, San Jose, Richmond, and Oakland.[37] In 2016, the Washington, D.C. Council passed a minimum wage ordinance that included a union waiver, but Mayor Vincent Gray vetoed it. Later that year, the council approved an increase without the union waiver.[38]

text: Trends in purchasing power[edit]

text: Since its inception the purchasing power of the minimum wage has fluctuated. The minimum wage had its highest purchasing power in 1968, when it was $1.60 per hour ($11.49 in 2017 dollars).[8][1] From January 1981 to April 1990, the minimum wage was frozen at $3.35 per hour, then a record-setting minimum wage freeze. From September 1, 1997 through July 23, 2007, the federal minimum wage remained constant at $5.15 per hour, breaking the old record. From the United States Department of Labor. Employment Standards Administration. Wage and Hour Division, the source page has a clickable US map with current and projected state-by-state minimum wage rates for each state. Some government entities, such as counties and cities, observe minimum wages that are higher than the state as a whole. One notable example of this is Santa Fe, New Mexico, whose $9.50 per hour minimum wage was the highest in the nation,[39][40][41] until San Francisco increased its minimum wage to $9.79 in 2009.[42] Another device to increase wages, living wage ordinances, generally apply only to businesses that are under contract to the local government itself.

text: Since 1984, the purchasing power of the federal minimum wage has decreased. Measured in real terms (adjusted for inflation) using 1984 dollars, the real minimum wage was $3.35 in 1984, $2.33 in 1994, $1.84 in 2004, and $1.46 in 2014[8]. If the minimum wage had been raised to $10.10 in 2014, that would have equated to $4.40 in 1984 dollars.[43][44] This would have been equal to a 31% increase in purchasing power, despite the nominal value of the minimum wage increasing by 216% in the same time period.

text: Economic effects[edit]

text: The economic effects of raising the minimum wage are controversial. Adjusting the minimum wage may affect current and future levels of employment, prices of goods and services, economic growth, income inequality and poverty. The interconnection of price levels, central bank policy, wage agreements, and total aggregate demand creates a situation in which the conclusions drawn from macroeconomic analysis are highly influenced by the underlying assumptions of the interpreter.[45]

text: Employment and job creation[edit]

text: The law of demand states that—all else being equal—raising the price of any particular good or service will reduce the quantity demanded.[citation needed] Thus, neoclassical economics argues that—all else being equal—raising in the minimum wage will have adverse affects on employment.

text: Conceptually, if an employer does not believe a worker generates value equal to or in excess of the minimum wage, that worker will not be hired or retained.[46]

text: Empirical work on fast food workers in the 1990s challenged the neoclassical model. In 1994, economists David Card and Alan Krueger studied employment trends among 410 restaurants in New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania following New Jersey's minimum wage hike (from $4.25 to $5.05) in April 1992. They found "no indication that the rise in the minimum wage reduced employment."[47] However, a 1995 re-analysis of the evidence by David Neumark found that the increase in New Jersey's minimum wage actually resulted in a 4.6% decrease in employment.[48] Neumark's study relied on payroll records from a sample of large fast-food restaurant chains, whereas the Card-Krueger study relied on business surveys.

text: Additional research conducted by David Neumark and William Wascher (which surveyed over 100 studies related to the employment effects of minimum wages) found that the majority of peer-reviewed economic research (about two-thirds) showed a positive correlation between minimum wage hikes and increased unemployment—especially for young and unskilled workers. Neumark's analysis further found that, when looking at only the most credible research, 85% of studies showed a positive correlation between minimum wage hikes and increased unemployment.[49]

text: In February 2014, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reported the theoretical effects of a federal minimum wage increase under two scenarios: an increase to $9.00 and an increase to $10.10. According to the report, approximately 100,000 jobs would be lost under the $9.00 option, whereas 500,000 jobs would be lost under the $10.10 option (with a wide range of possible outcomes).[50]

text: A 2013 Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) review of multiple studies since 2000 indicated that there was "little or no employment response to modest increases in the minimum wage."[51] Another CEPR study in 2014 found that job creation within the United States is faster within states that raised their minimum wage.[52] In 2014, the state with the highest minimum wage in the nation, Washington, exceeded the national average for job growth in the United States.[53]

text: A 2012 study led by Joseph Sabia, professor of economics at the University of New Hampshire, estimated that the 2004-6 New York State minimum wage increase (from $5.15 to $6.75) resulted in a 20.2% to 21.8% reduction in employment for less-skilled, less-educated workers.[54] Another study conducted by Joseph Sabia, then an assistant professor at American University, found that minimum wages were ineffective at alleviating poverty for single mothers. The study further concluded that a 10% increase in the minimum wage was associated with an 8.8% reduction in employment and an 11.8% reduction in hours for uneducated single mothers.[55]

text: Research conducted by Richard Burkhauser, professor emeritus of Policy Analysis at Cornell University, concluded that minimum wage increases "significantly reduce the employment of the most vulnerable groups in the working-age population—young adults without a high school degree (aged 20-24), young black adults and teenagers (aged 16-24), and teenagers (aged 16-19)."[56]

text: A 2007 study by Daniel Aaronson and Eric French concluded that a 10% increase in the minimum wage decreased low-skill employment by 2-4% and total restaurant employment by 1-3%.[57]

text: The Economist wrote in December 2013: "A minimum wage, providing it is not set too high, could thus boost pay with no ill effects on jobs...Some studies find no harm to employment from federal or state minimum wages, others see a small one, but none finds any serious damage...High minimum wages, however, particularly in rigid labour markets, do appear to hit employment. France has the rich world’s highest wage floor, at more than 60% of the median for adults and a far bigger fraction of the typical wage for the young. This helps explain why France also has shockingly high rates of youth unemployment: 26% for 15- to 24-year-olds."[58]

text: Prices[edit]

text: Conceptually—all else being equal—raising the minimum wage will increase the cost of labor.[citation needed] Thus, employers may accept lower profits, raise their prices, or both.[citation needed] If prices increase, consumers may demand a lesser quantity of the product, substitute other products, or switch to imported products.[citation needed] Marginal producers (those who are barely profitable enough to survive) may be forced out of business if they cannot raise their prices sufficiently to offset the higher cost of labor. Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago research from 2007 has shown that restaurant prices rise in response to minimum wage increases.[59]

text: Crime decrease[edit]

text: A 2016 White House report based on "back of envelope calculations and literature review" argued that higher hourly wages led to less crime.[60]

text: A report by the Council of Economic Advisers claimed that "raising the minimum wage reduces crime by 3 to 5 percent." To get those numbers, the study determined that "such a minimum wage increase would have no employment impacts, with an employment elasticity of 0.1 the benefits would be somewhat lower."[60]

text: However, In a 1987 journal article based on actual study data, Masanori Hashimoto noted that minimum wage hikes lead to increased levels of property crime in areas affected by the minimum wage after its increase.[61] According to the article, by decreasing employment in poor communities, total legal trade and production are curtailed. The report also claimed that in order to compensate for the decrease in legal avenues for production and consumption, poor communities increasingly turn to illegal trade and activity.[61]

text: Economic growth[edit]

text: Whether growth (GDP, a measure of both income and production) increases or decreases depends significantly on whether the income shifted from owners to workers results in an overall higher level of spending. The tendency of a consumer to spend their next dollar is referred to as the marginal propensity to consume or MPC. The transfer of income from higher income owners (who tend to save more, meaning a lower MPC) to lower income workers (who tend to save less, with a higher MPC) can actually lead to an increase in total consumption and higher demand for goods, leading to increased employment.[50] Recent research has shown that higher wages lead to greater productivity.[62]

text: The CBO reported in February 2014 that income (GDP) overall would be marginally higher after raising the minimum wage, indicating a small net positive increase in growth. Raising the minimum wage to $10.10 and indexing it to inflation would result in a net $2 billion increase in income during the second half of 2016, while raising it to $9.00 and not indexing it would result in a net $1 billion increase in income.[50]

text: Income inequality[edit]

text: An increase in the minimum wage is a form of redistribution from higher-income persons (business owners or "capital") to lower income persons (workers or "labor") and therefore should reduce income inequality. The CBO estimated in February 2014 that raising the minimum wage under either scenario described above would improve income inequality. Families with income more than 6 times the poverty threshold would see their incomes fall (due in part to their business profits declining with higher employee costs), while families with incomes below that threshold would rise.[50]

text: Poverty[edit]

text: Among hourly-paid workers In 2016, 701,000 earned the federal minimum wage and about 1.5 million earned wages below the minimum. Together, these 2.2 million workers represented 2.7% of all hourly-paid workers.[64]

text: CBO estimated in February 2014 that raising the minimum wage would reduce the number of persons below the poverty income threshold by 900,000 under the $10.10 option versus 300,000 under the $9.00 option.[50]

text: Research conducted by David Neumark and colleagues found that minimum wages are associated with reductions in the hours and employment of low-wage workers.[65] A separate study by the same researchers found that minimum wages tend to increase the proportion of families with incomes below or near the poverty line.[66] Similarly, a 2002 study led by Richard Vedder, professor of economics at Ohio University, concluded that "The empirical evidence is strong that minimum wages have had little or no effect on poverty in the U.S. Indeed, the evidence is stronger that minimum wages occasionally increase poverty…"[67]

text: Federal budget deficit[edit]

text: The CBO reported in February 2014 that "[T]he net effect on the federal budget of raising the minimum wage would probably be a small decrease in budget deficits for several years but a small increase in budget deficits thereafter. It is unclear whether the effect for the coming decade as a whole would be a small increase or a small decrease in budget deficits." On the cost side, the report cited higher wages paid by the government to some of its employees along with higher costs for certain procured goods and services. This might be offset by fewer government benefits paid, as some workers with higher incomes would receive fewer government transfer payments. On the revenue side, some would pay higher taxes and others less.[50]

text: Commentary[edit]

text: Economists[edit]

text:
Effective Minimum Wage
Adjusted for Cost of Living
for Select U.S. Cities (2015)[68][69]

City
Effective
minimum wage

Seattle
$8.51

Denver
$7.57

Houston
$7.26

United States
$7.25

San Francisco
$7.03

Chicago
$7.01

Boston
$11.00

Washington, D.C.
$6.53

Los Angeles
$6.38

Atlanta
$5.15

New York City
$3.86

text: According to a survey conducted by economist Greg Mankiw, 79% of economists agreed that "a minimum wage increases unemployment among young and unskilled workers."[70]

text: A 2015 survey conducted by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center found that a majority of economists believed raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour would have negative effects on youth employment levels (83%), adult employment levels (52%), and the number of jobs available (76%). Additionally, 67% of economists surveyed believed that a $15 minimum wage would make it harder for small businesses with less than 50 employees to stay in business.[71]

text: A 2006 survey conducted by Robert Whaples, professor of economics at Wake Forest University, found that, among the economists surveyed[How many?], opinions about the minimum wage were as follows:[72]

text:
46.8% favored eliminating it
14.3% favored keeping it the same
1.3% favored decreasing it
5.2% favored increasing it by about 50 cents per hour
15.6% favored increasing it by about $1 per hour
16.9% favored increasing it by more than $1 per hour

tag: ul

text: In 2014, over 600 economists signed a letter in support of increasing the minimum wage to $10.10 with research suggesting that a minimum wage increase could have a small stimulative effect on the economy as low-wage workers spend their additional earnings, raising demand and job growth.[73][74][75][76] Also, seven recipients of the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences were among 75 economists endorsing an increase in the minimum wage for U.S. workers and said "the weight" of economic research shows higher pay doesn’t lead to fewer jobs.[77][78]

text: According to a February 2013 survey of the University of Chicago IGM Forum, which includes approximately 40 economists:

text:
34% agreed with the statement that "Raising the federal minimum wage to $9 per hour would make it noticeably harder for low-skilled workers to find employment", with 32% disagreeing and 24% uncertain
42% agreed that "...raising the minimum wage to $9 per hour and indexing it to inflation...would be a desirable policy", with 11% disagreeing or strongly disagreeing and 32% uncertain.[79]

text: According to a fall 2000 survey conducted by Fuller and Geide-Stevenson, 73.5% (27.9% of which agreed with provisos) of American economists surveyed[How many?] agreed that minimum wage laws increase unemployment among unskilled and young workers, while 26.5% disagreed with the statement.[80]

text: Economist Paul Krugman advocated raising the minimum wage moderately in 2013, citing several reasons, including:

text:
The minimum wage was below its 1960s purchasing power, despite a near doubling of productivity;
The great preponderance of the evidence indicates there is no negative impact on employment from moderate increases; and
A high level of public support, specifically Democrats and Republican women.[81]

text: Politicians[edit]

text: Former President Bill Clinton advocated raising the minimum wage in 2014: "I think we ought to raise the minimum wage because it doesn’t just raise wages for the three or four million people who are directly affected by it, it bumps the wage structure everywhere...The estimates are that 35 million Americans would get a pay raise if the federal minimum wage was raised...If you [raise the minimum wage] in a phased way, it always creates jobs. Why? Because people who make the minimum wage or near it are struggling to get by, they spend every penny they make, they turn it over in the economy, they create jobs, they create opportunity, and they take better care of their children. It’s just the right thing to do, but it’s also very good economics."[82]

text: Social and online activism[edit]

text: #RaiseTheWage[edit]

text: The #RaiseTheWage movement is an activist movement that takes place on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and other social media platforms.[citation needed] The aim of this movement is to set the federal minimum wage to $15.00.[citation needed] While there is not definitive beginning to the movement, former president Barack Obama has been attributed[by whom?] with popularizing it in media with this comment—“of course, nothing helps families make ends meet like higher wages. … And to everyone in this Congress who still refuses to raise the minimum wage, I say this: If you truly believe you could work full-time and support a family on less than $15,000 a year, go try it. If not, vote to give millions of the hardest-working people in America a raise.”[83] While the vast majority of #RaiseTheWage's influence is on social media there are a number of affiliated groups, and movements who have taken the movement to the streets—mainly through nonviolent protests.[citation needed]

text: Polls[edit]

text: The Pew Center reported in January 2014 that 73% of Americans supported raising the minimum wage from $7.25 to $10. By party, 53% of Republicans and 90% of Democrats favored this action.[84] Pew found a racial difference for support of a higher minimum wage in 2017 with most blacks and Hispanics supporting a $15.00 federal minimum wage, and 54% of whites opposing it.[3]

text: A Lake Research Partners poll in February 2012 found the following:

text:
Strong support overall for raising the minimum wage, with 73% of likely voters supporting an increase to $10 and indexing it to inflation during 2014, including 58% who strongly support the action;
Support crosses party lines, with support from 91% of Democrats, 74% of Independents, and 50% of Republicans; and
A majority (56%) believe that raising the minimum wage will help the economy, with 16% believing it won't make a difference. Only 21% felt it would hurt the economy.[85]

text: List by jurisdiction[edit]

text: This is a list of the minimum wages (per hour) in each state and territory of the United States, for jobs covered by federal minimum wage laws. If the job is not subject to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, then state, city, or other local laws may determine the minimum wage.[86] A common exemption to the federal minimum wage is a company having revenue of less than $500,000 per year while not engaging in any interstate commerce.

text: Under the federal law, workers who receive a portion of their salary from tips, such as waitstaff, are required only to have their total compensation, including tips, meet the minimum wage. Therefore, often, their hourly wage, before tips, is less than the minimum wage.[87] Seven states, and Guam, do not allow for a tip credit.[88] Additional exemptions to the minimum wage include many seasonal employees, student employees, and certain disabled employees as specified by the FLSA.[89]

text: In addition, some counties and cities within states may observe a higher minimum wage than the rest of the state in which they are located; sometimes this higher wage will apply only to businesses that are under contract to the local government itself, while in other cases the higher minimum will be enforced across the board.

text: Federal[edit]

text:
Type
Min Wage ($/h)
Notes

Tipped
$2.13
The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 has been requiring a minimum wage of $2.13 for tipped workers with the expectation that wages plus tips total no less than $7.25 per hour since September 1, 1991.[90] The employer must pay the difference if total income does not add up to $7.25 per hour.[91]

Non-tipped
$7.25
Per the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 (FMWA) since July 24, 2009.[92]

Youth
$4.25
The Fair Labor Standards Act has since September 1, 1996 allowed for persons under the age of 20 to be paid $4.25 for the first 90 calendar days of their employment .[93]

text: State[edit]

text: The average US minimum wage per capita (2017) is $8.49 based on the population size of each state and generally represents the average minimum wage experienced by a person working in one of the fifty US states. Cities, counties, districts, and territories are not included in the calculation.[citation needed] As of October 2016, there have been 29 states with a minimum wage higher than the federal minimum. From 2014 to 2015, nine states increased their minimum wage levels through automatic adjustments, while increases in 11 other states occurred through referendum or legislative action.[1] Beginning in January 2017, Massachusetts and Washington state have the highest minimum wages in the country, at $11.00 per hour.[94] New York City's minimum wage will be $15.00 per hour by the end of 2018.[95] |-

text:
State
Min Wage
($/h)[96]
Tipped
($/h)[a]
Youth/
Training
($/h)[b]
Automatic Indexed Adjustment
Notes

Alabama
None[c]

No

Alaska
$9.80
$9.80

Yes
Minimum wage increased to $9.80 on January 1, 2017.

Arizona
$10.00
$7.00

Yes
Minimum wage increased to $8.05 on January 1, 2015.[98] The state tipped minimum wage is $3 per hour less. Pursuant to Arizona Proposition 202 (2006), the rates are adjusted annually on January 1 based on the U.S. Consumer Price Index. This rate increase does not affect student workers in places such as libraries and cafeterias because those positions are given by universities, which are state entities.[99]

Arkansas
$8.50
$2.63

No
The 2014 rate applies to employers of 4 or more employees.[100]

California
$10.50[101]
$10.50

Yes
Minimum wage increased to $10.00 on January 1, 2016[102] and will increase to $15.00 by 2022.[103] Berkeley: $13.75 since October 1, 2017 and will increase to $15.00 by 2018. Emeryville: $15.20 for businesses with 56 or more employees; $14.00 for businesses with 55 employees or less, effective July 2017. Jackson Rancheria: $10.60 since January 1, 2014 on the Tribe's sovereign 1,500-acre reservation in Amador County. Oakland: $12.86 since January 1, 2017. Unions are exempt from Oakland's minimum wage law. Los Angeles: $10.50 since July 1, 2016 and will increase to $15.00 by 2020. Unions are exempt from Los Angeles's minimum wage law. San Francisco: $14.00 since July 1, 2017 and will increase to $15.00 by 2018.[104] Unions are exempt from San Francisco's minimum wage law.[37] San Jose: $12.00 since January 1, 2017. Unions are exempt from San Jose's minimum wage law.[37] El Cerrito: $12.25 since Januaury 1, 2017 and will increase to $15 by 2019 and thereafter increase based on local Consumer Price Index

Colorado
$9.30
$6.28

Yes
On January 1, 2017, the minimum wage was increased to $9.30 and will be increased annually by $0.90 until it becomes $12 in January 2020. Starting in 2021, it will be adjusted by cost of living increases.[105] The tipped wage is $3.02 less than the minimum wage[106]

Connecticut
$10.10
$6.59

No
On March 26, 2014, the state passed legislation to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 by January 1, 2017.[107] Connecticut's tipped minimum wage is 65.2% of the state minimum wage (tipped employees defined as $10/wk or $2/day in tips).[108]

Delaware
$8.25
$2.23

No
Minimum wage increased to $8.25 on June 1, 2015.[109]

Florida
$8.10
$5.08

Yes
Minimum wage is increased annually on September 30 (effective January 1 of the following calendar year) based upon a cost of living formula (the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, not seasonally adjusted, for the South Region or a successor index as calculated by the United States Department of Labor, using the rate of inflation for the 12 months prior to September 1)[110]. Florida's minimum wage increased to $8.10 and the tipped minimum wage to $5.08 on January 1, 2017.[111]

Georgia
$5.15
[112][113]
$2.13

No
Only applicable to employers of 6 or more employees. The state law excludes from coverage any employment that is subject to the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act when the federal rate is greater than the state rate.[114]

Hawaii
$9.25
$8.50

No
Minimum wage increased to $8.50 on January 1, 2016, and will increase to $10.10 by January 1, 2018. Tipped employees earn 75 cents less than the current state minimum wage.[115]

Idaho
$7.25[116]
$3.35

No

Illinois
$8.25
$4.95
$7.75
No
Employers may pay anyone under the age of 18, or anyone for the first 90 days of employment, fifty cents less. Tipped employees earn 60% of the minimum wage (employers may claim credit for tips, up to 40% of wage). There is a training wage for tipped employees.[117] Chicago: $10.00 from July 1, 2015 and will increase to $13.00 by 2019.[118] Unions are exempt from Chicago's minimum wage law.[37]

Indiana
$7.25[119]
$2.13

No

Iowa
$7.25[120]
$4.35

No
Most small retail and service establishments grossing less than $300,000 annually are not required to pay the minimum wage.[120] A tipped employee who makes $30.00 per month or more in tips, can be paid 60% of the minimum wage, i.e. as little as $4.35 per hour.[120] Increased minimum wage laws in Johnson and Linn counties were nullified by the legislature.[121]

Kansas
$7.25[122]
$2.13

No
Kansas had the lowest legislated, non-tipped worker, minimum wage in the U.S., $2.65 per hour, until it was raised to $7.25, effective January 1, 2010.[123]

Kentucky
$7.25[124]
$2.13

No
Louisville: $8.10 from July 1, 2015 and will increase to $9.00 by 2017.[125][126] However, the Kentucky Supreme Court ruled that localities do not have authority to increase the minimum wage.[127]

Louisiana
None[c]

No

Maine
$9.00
$5.00

Yes
Tipped rate is half of the current state minimum wage.[128] On July 6, 2015, the city council of Portland voted 6-3 to raise the city's minimum wage to $10.10 beginning on January 1, 2016 – an increase of 34%.[129] Note: The tipped wage will return to being 50% of the regular minimum wage starting January 1, 2018; minimum wage will increase to $10 in January 2018, $11 in January 2019; $12 in January 2020.[130][131]

Maryland
$9.25
$3.63

No
Minimum wage is $8.75 per hour as July 1, 2016; $9.25 as of July 1, 2017; and $10.10 as of July 1, 2018.[132][133]
For employees working in Prince George's County, the minimum wage is $10.75 per hour, effective October 1, 2016, and increases to $11.50 on October 1, 2017.[132]
For employees working in Montgomery County, the minimum wage is $11.50 per hour starting July 1, 2017.[134] County Council bill 12-16 was enacted on January 17, 2017 to adjust the minimum wage to $15 and base future adjustments on the Consumer Price Index, but was later vetoed by the County Executive.[135][136]

Massachusetts
$11.00
$3.75

No
Minimum wage increased to $11.00 ($3.75 for tipped workers) on January 1, 2017, making it the highest minimum-wage in the country at the state level. Massachusetts is the only state in the country that mandates time-and-a-half for retail workers working on Sunday. With state minimum wage at $11 an hour the effective minimum wage for a retail worker working on Sunday is $16.50 an hour.[137] As of 2017, Massachusetts has the largest gap between the hourly minimum wage for tipped workers ($3.75) and the general minimum wage ($11).[138]

Michigan
$8.90[139]
$3.38 $8.90(tips included)
$4.25 (training) $7.57 (youth)
Yes
Minimum wage will increase to $9.25 by January 2018 and increase with the consumer price index yearly after 2018. Yearly increases, starting on February 1 2019, shall not exceed 3.5%. There will be no increase in minimum wage if the unemployment rate rises to or above 8.5% in the previous year. Tipped workers must earn at least standard Michigan minimum wage once tips are included in their wages.[140][141]

Minnesota
$9.50[112]
$9.50
$7.25[142]
Yes
Small employers, whose annual receipts are less than $500,000 and who do not engage in interstate commerce, can pay their employees $7.25 per hour. Overtime applies after 48 hours per week.[142] Note: For large employers, the minimum wage became $9.00 on August 1, 2015; and $9.50 on August 1, 2016. For small employers the minimum wage became $7.25 on August 1, 2015; and $7.75 on August 1, 2016. Beginning January 1, 2018, all minimum wage rates will increase by the national implicit price deflator or 2.5%, whichever is lower.[143]

Mississippi
None[c]

No

Missouri
$7.70
$3.825

Yes
Minimum wage rate is automatically adjusted annually based on the U.S. Consumer Price Index rounded to the nearest five cents, and increased to $7.70 on January 1, 2017.[144] While a city ordinance was passed in St. Louis area to increase the minimum wage was set to $8.25 in 2015,[145] in October 2015 the law was voided by a new statewide bill barring cities from setting their own minimum wages.[146] The State Supreme Court ruled on 28 February 2017 that the ordinance was lawful and could go into effect, with the minimum wage rate set to rise to $11.00 an hour by 2018 in St. Louis.[147] However, on July 5, 2017, another law was passed to nullify the increase and to have a statewide minimum wage of $7.70.[148]

Montana
$8.15
$8.15

Yes
Minimum wage rate is automatically adjusted annually based on the U.S. Consumer Price Index, and increased to $8.15 on January 1, 2017. Income from tips cannot offset an employee's pay rate. The state minimum wage for business with less than $110,000 in annual sales is $4.00.[96]

Nebraska
$9.00[149]
$2.13

No
Minimum wage increased to $9.00 January 1, 2016.[100]

Nevada
$8.25
$8.25

Yes
The minimum wage has been $8.25 ($1 higher than the federal minimum) since July 1, 2010. Employers who offer health benefits can pay employees $7.25.[150] The rate is adjusted every July 1, based on the federal minimum or the accumulated inflation since 2006, whichever is higher, based on a 2006 Minimum Wage Amendment to the Nevada Constitution.[151]

New Hampshire
$7.25[152]
$3.27

No

New Jersey
$8.44[153]
$2.13

Yes
Minimum wage increased to $8.44 on January 1, 2017.[153]

New Mexico
$7.50
$2.13

No
Santa Fe: $10.84 since January 1, 2015.[154] Albuquerque: $8.75 since January 1, 2015.[155]

New York
$9.75[156]
Varies

Yes
The minimum wage rate increased to $9.00 on December 31, 2015.[157] As of July 24, 2009 there has been a minimum for exempt employees of $543.75 per week.[158] Tipped employee minimum ranges from $4.90 to $5.65 depending on industry.[97] Effective December 31, 2013, there have been different rules for the minimum cash wage for tipped employees outside of the hospitality industry, (e.g., in car washes and in salons). For workers earning more than $1.95 on average per hour in tips, the minimum cash wage has been $6.05 per hour; for workers earning between $1.20 and $1.95 in tips on average per hour, the cash wage has been $6.80.[159]
A 2016 law changed the minimum wage over the following six years. "Large" employers have 11 or more employees, and "small" have between 1 and 10. "Downstate" includes Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester Counties.[160] NYC large employers: $11.00, NYC small employers: $10.50, Downstate employers: $10.00, Upstate employers: $9.70. As of December 31, 2017: NYC large employers: $13.00; NYC small employers: $12.00; Downstate employers: $11.00; Upstate employers: $10.40. As of December 31, 2018: NYC large employers: $15.00; NYC small employers: $13.50; Downstate employers: $12.00; Upstate employers: $11.10. As of December 31, 2019: NYC large employers: $15.00; NYC small employers: $15.00; Downstate employers: $13.00; Upstate employers: $12.50. As of December 31, 2020: NYC large employers: $15.00; NYC small employers: $15.00; Downstate employers: $14.00; Upstate employers: $12.50. As of December 31, 2021: NYC large employers: $15.00; NYC small employers: $15.00; Downstate employers: $15.00; Upstate employers: Set by Commissioner of Labor based on economic conditions, up to $15.00.
Tipped food service workers will be paid $7.50 per hour, or two-thirds of the applicable minimum wage rate rounded to the nearest $0.05, whichever is higher.[citation needed]

North Carolina
$7.25[161]
$2.13

No
The employer may take credit for tips earned by a tipped employee and may count them as wages up to the amount permitted in section 3(m) of the Fair Labor Standards Act.[161]

North Dakota
$7.25[162]
$4.86

No
Tipped minimum is 67% of the minimum wage.[97]

Ohio
$8.15
$4.08
$7.25 under 16 years old
Yes
The rate is $7.25 for employers grossing $299,000 or less.[163] The rate is adjusted annually on January 1 based on the U.S. Consumer Price Index[164] Ohio's minimum wage will increase to $8.30 ($4.15 for tipped employees) on January 1, 2018

Oklahoma
$7.25[165]
$2.13

No
Minimum wage for employers grossing under $100,000 and with fewer than 10 employees per location is $2.00.[166](OK Statutes 40-197.5).

Oregon
$10.00 (rural counties)
$10.25 (non-rural counties)
$11.25 (Portland metro)[167]
$10.00 (rural counties)
$10.25 (non-rural counties)
$11.25 (Portland metro)

Yes
On March 2, 2016, Senate Bill 1532 was signed into law, increasing minimum wage depending on the county. Beginning July 1, 2016 the minimum wage increased to $9.75 for non-rural counties and to $9.50 for rural counties, thereafter increasing each year by fixed amounts until June 30, 2022 when the minimum wage will be $14.75 for the Portland metro area, $13.50 for other non-rural counties, and $12.50 for rural counties. Thereafter, the minimum wage will be adjusted each year based on the U.S. Consumer Price Index.[168] Non-rural counties are defined as Benton, Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Deschutes, Hood River, Jackson, Josephine, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Tillamook, Wasco, Washington, and Yamhill counties.[169] Rural counties are defined as Baker, Coos, Crook, Curry, Douglas, Gilliam, Grant, Harney, Jefferson, Klamath, Lake, Malheur, Morrow, Sherman, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Wheeler counties.[169] The Portland Metro rate ($1.25 over the non-rural rate) applies to employers located within the urban growth boundary (UGB) of the Portland metropolitan service district.[167]

Pennsylvania
$7.25[170]
$2.83

No

Rhode Island
$9.60
$3.39

No
Minimum wage increased to $9.60 January 1, 2016.

South Carolina
None[c]

No

South Dakota
$8.65[171]
$4.325

Yes
Minimum wage increased to $8.65 on January 1, 2017, and is indexed to inflation.

Tennessee
None[c]

No

Texas
$7.25[172]
$2.13

No
Applies to all workers in the state, excluding patients of the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation who have diminished production capacity and who work on behalf of the Department; their salary is calculated at the minimum wage times a percentage of their diminished capacity.

Utah
$7.25
$2.13

No

Vermont
$10.00
$4.80

Yes
Minimum wage increased to $10.00 on January 1, 2017,[173] will increase to $10.50 by January 1, 2018, and will be indexed to inflation beginning on January 1, 2019.[174]

Virginia
$7.25[175]
$2.13

No

Washington
$11.00[176]
$11.00[176]
$9.35[177]
Yes
Minimum wage increases annually by a voter-approved cost-of-living adjustment based on the federal Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W).[178] Seattle: $11.00 for businesses less than 500 employees, 15.00 for businesses with over 500 employees, and for all businesses by 2021.[179][180] SeaTac: $15.00 for airport-related businesses.[181] Union workshops are exempt from SeaTac's $15 minimum wage law.[182]

West Virginia
$8.75[183]
$2.62

No
Minimum wage increased to $8.75 on December 31, 2015.[184] The state minimum wage is applicable to employers of six or more employees at one location not involved in interstate commerce[96] and for tipped employees is 30% of the federal minimum wage.[97]

Wisconsin
$7.25[185]
$2.33

No

Wyoming
$5.15[112]
$2.13

No

text:
Jump up ^ Generally applies to employees who make over $30 in tips per month, unless otherwise noted.[97]
Jump up ^ Applies to persons under age 20, for the first 90 days of employment (per FMWA), unless otherwise noted.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e No state minimum wage law. Federal rates apply, although some small businesses exempt from FMWA may not be covered.

tag: ol

text: Territory[edit]

text:
Territory
Min Wage ($/h)[96]
Notes

American Samoa
$4.18–$5.59
Varies by industry.[186] On September 30, 2010, President Obama signed legislation that delays scheduled wage increases for 2010 and 2011. On July 26, 2012, President Obama signed S. 2009 into law, postponing the minimum wage increase for 2012, 2013, and 2014. Annual wage increases of $0.50 recommenced on September 30, 2015 and will continue every three years until all rates have reached the federal minimum.[187]

Guam
$8.25
Tipped employee minimum $6.55[188]

Northern Mariana Islands
$6.55
Since September 30, 2016. Wages are to go up $0.50 annually until reaching the federal $7.25 rate by 2018.[189] Bill S. 256 to delay the planned increases to the full rate until 2018 passed in Sept. 2013.[190]

Puerto Rico
$7.25
Following the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007, Employers covered by the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)[which?] are subject to the federal minimum wage and all applicable regulations. Employers not covered by the FLSA will be subject to a minimum wage that is at least 70 percent of the federal minimum wage or the applicable mandatory decree rate, whichever is higher. The Secretary of Labor and Human Resources may authorize a rate based on a lower percentage for any employer who can show that implementation of the 70 percent rate would substantially curtail employment in that business.
Puerto Rico also has minimum wage rates that vary according to the industry. These rates range from a minimum of $5.08 to $7.25 per hour.

U.S. Virgin Islands
$8.35
The Virgin Islands' minimum wage increased to $8.35 on June 21, 2016 for all employees, with the exception of tourist service and restaurant employees. It is scheduled to increase to $9.50 on June 1, 2017; $10.50 on June 1, 2018.[191]

text: Federal District[edit]

text:
Federal District
Min Wage
($/h)
Tipped
($/h)
Youth/
Training
($/h)
Notes

District of Columbia
$11.50
$3.47
None
As of July 1, 2017, the minimum wage is $11.50, and $3.47 per hour for tipped employees.[192]
In accordance with a law signed on June 27, 2016,[193][194] the minimum wage will be $12.50 per hour as of July 1, 2017; $13.25 per hour as of July 1, 2018; 14.00 per hour as of July 1, 2019; and $15.00 per hour as of July 1, 2020.[195] As of each successive July 1, the minimum wage will increase by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers in the Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area for the preceding twelve months.[195]
The minimum wage for tipped-employees will increase to $4.17 per hour as of July 1, 2018; $4.87 per hour as of July 1, 2019; and $5.55 per hour as of July 1, 2020.[195]
The minimum wage established by the federal government may be paid to newly hired individuals during their first 90 calendar days of employment, students employed by colleges and universities, and individuals under 18 years of age.[196]

text: Jobs affected, 2006, 2009[edit]

text: The jobs that are most likely to be directly affected by the minimum wage are those which pay a wage close to the minimum.

text: According to the May 2006 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, the four lowest-paid occupational sectors in May 2006 (when the federal minimum wage was $5.15 per hour) were the following:[197]

text:
Sector
Workers Employed
Median Wage
Mean Wage
Mean Annual

Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations
11,029,280
$7.90
$8.86
$18,430

Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations
450,040
$8.63
$10.49
$21,810

Personal Care and Service Occupations
3,249,760
$9.17
$11.02
$22,920

Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations
4,396,250
$9.75
$10.86
$22,580

text: Two years later, in May 2008, when the federal minimum wage was $5.85 per hour and was about to increase to $6.55 per hour in July 2008, these same sectors were still the lowest-paying, but their situation (according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data)[198] was:

text:
Sector
Workers Employed
Median Wage
Mean Wage
Mean Annual

Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations
11,438,550
$8.59
$9.72
$20,220

Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations
438,490
$9.34
$11.32
$23,560

Personal Care and Service Occupations
3,437,520
$9.82
$11.59
$24,120

Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations
4,429,870
$10.52
$11.72
$24,370

text: In 2006, workers in the following 13 individual occupations received, on average, a median hourly wage of less than $8.00 per hour:[197]

text:
Occupation
Workers Employed
Median Wage
Mean Wage
Mean Annual

Gaming Dealers
82,960
$7.08
$8.18
$17,010

Waiters and Waitresses
2,312,930
$3.14
$4.27
$11,190

Combined Food Preparation and Serving Workers, Including Fast Food
2,461,890
$7.24
$7.66
$15,930

Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers
401,790
$7.36
$7.84
$16,320

Cooks, Fast Food
612,020
$7.41
$7.67
$15,960

Dishwashers
502,770
$7.57
$7.78
$16,190

Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers
101,530
$7.64
$8.41
$17,500

Counter Attendants, Cafeteria, Food Concession, and Coffee Shop
524,410
$7.76
$8.15
$16,950

Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop
340,390
$7.78
$8.10
$16,860

Shampooers
15,580
$7.78
$8.20
$17,050

Amusement and Recreation Attendants
235,670
$7.83
$8.43
$17,530

Bartenders
485,120
$7.86
$8.91
$18,540

Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse
230,780
$7.95
$8.48
$17,630

text: In 2008, only two occupations paid a median wage less than $8.00 per hour:[198]

text:
Occupation
Workers Employed
Median Wage
Mean Wage
Mean Annual

Gaming Dealers
91,130
$7.84
$9.56
$19,890

Combined Food Preparation and Serving Workers, Including Fast Food
2,708,840
$7.90
$8.36
$17,400

text: According to the May 2009 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates,[199] the lowest-paid occupational sectors in May 2009 (when the federal minimum wage was $7.25 per hour) were the following:

text:
Sector
Workers Employed
Median Wage
Mean Wage
Mean Annual

Gaming Dealers
86,900
$8.19
$9.76
$20,290

Combined Food Preparation and Serving Workers, Including Fast Food
2,695,740
$8.28
$8.71
$18,120

Waiters and Waitresses
2,302,070
$8.50
$9.80
$20,380

Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers
402,020
$8.51
$9.09
$18,900

Cooks, Fast Food
539,520
$8.52
$8.76
$18,230


document_title: Santa Claus: The Movie

question_text: where was the movie the santa claus filmed

text: Santa Claus: The Movie

text: Plot[edit]

text: Sometime in the 14th century, Claus is a woodcarver in his mid-50s who, with his wife Anya, delivers his gifts to the children of local villages. One night, Claus, Anya and their two reindeer, Donner and Blitzen, are caught in a blizzard and succumb to the cold weather. In death, they are transported to the vast "ice mountains, way up at the top of the world." Their expected arrival is heralded with the appearance of several elves, or as Claus's people call them in their legends, the Vendequm, led by the venerable and wise elf named Dooley. Claus and Anya also meet inventive elf Patch, and the more down-to-earth Puffy. Dooley tells Claus it is his destiny to deliver toys to the children of the world every Christmas Eve, which the elves will make in their large workshops. Donner and Blitzen are joined by six other reindeer and fed magic food that allows them to fly. When Christmas Eve comes, Claus is approached by the oldest of elves, the Ancient One, who renames him as "Santa Claus".

text: Centuries pass as the mythology of Santa is created, until the 20th century, where Santa is exhausted by the continuous workload he must do every year due to the world's increasing population. Anya suggests he enlist an assistant, to which Patch and Puffy compete to earn via a competition to produce the most toys in a limited amount of time. Patch uses a machine he has invented, and although he wins, it begins to produce shoddy works without his knowledge (due to putting the machines on a faster speed). During his annual deliveries, Santa befriends a homeless 10-year-old orphan boy named Joe in New York City and takes him for a flight around the skyscrapers of Manhattan in his sleigh. Santa lets Joe take the reins, who flies the sleigh underneath the Brooklyn Bridge much to Santa's horror, who then playfully gets his own back on Joe by having his reindeer perform the "Super Duper Looper", around the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center - an aerial trick that involves them doing a complete 360 degree turn, but Donner always fails due to acrophobia. Santa takes Joe on his deliveries where they meet 9-year-old Cornelia, a wealthy child and also an orphan who fed Joe one previous night.

text: On Christmas Day, Patch's toys begin to fall apart, prompting him to quit his job and let Puffy take over. Traveling to New York, Patch meets B.Z., Cornelia's step-uncle and a scheming executive of a toy company that faces a total shutdown by Congressional investigation due to unsafe products. Believing B.Z.'s toys are popular due to witnessing several toys being removed from a shop window, Patch decides to help B.Z. make better toys, using some of the reindeer feed to create lollipops which can make people fly and giving them to children for free (the latter fact causing B.Z. to sputter and yell, "FOR FREEEEE?!"). Patch also constructs a hovercraft called the Patchmobile to deliver the products like Santa and helps create a new holiday on March 25, which B.Z. deems "Christmas 2". Santa disapproves of Patch's actions (unaware the plan is to make Santa appreciate him again) and feels disheartened about continuing his job if the children of the world do not care anymore. Meanwhile, Patch is disturbed when B.Z. plans to turn himself into the face of Christmas, and asks Patch to develop candy canes which enable flight.

text: While Patch works at night, B.Z.'s assistant, Dr. Eric Towzer, appears at his house and reveals the candy canes will explode if exposed to heat. B.Z. proposes they flee to Brazil and let Patch take the fall for their criminal neglect, which Towzer eventually approves of, despite initially urging B.Z. to reconsider his actions as children are involved. Joe and Cornelia eavesdrop on the conversation, but Joe is caught and locked up in the basement of B.Z.'s factory. Patch finds Joe and discovers Santa made a carving for Joe that resembles him (which was unintentional, but pointed out by Anya). Thrilled that Santa remembers him, Patch and Joe set off in the Patchmobile to the North Pole. Cornelia sends a letter to Santa informing him of the situation. Despite Comet and Cupid having the Flu, Santa gathers up the other six reindeer and he arrives to pick Cornelia up. Santa and Cornelia pursue the Patchmobile, which is carrying a huge supply of candy canes on the verge of exploding. Santa convinces his reindeer to perform the Super Duper Looper in order to catch Patch and Joe as the Patchmobile explodes. Meanwhile, B.Z.'s crimes are uncovered when Cornelia calls the police. As Dr. Towzer and B.Z.'s chauffeur, Grizzard, are arrested, B.Z. attempts to evade the cops by eating several candy canes and tries to fly out of his office window only to fly up into the sky.

text: The film ends with the inhabitants of the North Pole celebrating the triumph with a joyous dance party, where Cornelia and Joe have been adopted by Santa, his wife and his elves, whilst B.Z., in spite of his pleas for help, is doomed to float off into the depths of space, among the equally-affected remains of the Patchmobile as the end credits roll.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
David Huddleston as Santa Claus, the Christmas figure who delivers presents to every child in the world on Christmas Eve.
Dudley Moore as Patch, a creative, inventive elf whose passion for and faith in the 20th Century is put to the test throughout the story.
John Lithgow as B.Z., the main antagonist – an unscrupulous toy manufacturer who uses Patch in a larger scheme to take over Christmas.
Judy Cornwell as Anya Claus, Santa's caring and supportive wife.
Burgess Meredith as the Ancient One, the oldest and wisest of the elves.
Jeffrey Kramer as Dr. Eric Towzer, B.Z.'s head of Research & Development.
Christian Fitzpatrick as Joe, a homeless 10-year-old orphan boy living on the hard streets of New York who befriends Santa and becomes Cornelia's best friend and conscience.
Carrie Kei Heim as Cornelia, B.Z.'s 9-year-old step-niece and orphan, who becomes Joe's conscience and best friend.
John Barrard as Dooley, Santa's #2 at the North Pole.
Anthony O'Donnell as Puffy, a bearded elf whose methodicalness foils against Patch's more radical progressiveness.
Melvyn Hayes as Goober, head of the Sewing Department.
Don Estelle as Groot, the elves' Senior Chef.
Tim Stern as Boog, first of Patch's three best friends.
Peter O'Farrell as Honka, second of Patch's three best friends.
Christopher Ryan as Vout, third of Patch's three best friends.
Keith Hayden as an Elf.
Shannon Spruill as Bratty Kid at Ballet Class
Nigel Paterson as bass-playing Elf in 'Season's Greetings' scene.

text: Production[edit]

text: Development and Filming[edit]

text: Conceived by Ilya Salkind in the wake of the apparently waning critical and U.S. box office success of 1983's Superman III and its immediate follow-up, 1984's Supergirl, Santa Claus: The Movie was directed by Jeannot Szwarc, who had directed Supergirl, from a story by David and Leslie Newman. David Newman, however, took sole screenplay credit. Pierre Spengler, Ilya's longtime partner, and the third key element of Team Salkind, joined Alexander's son as the project's producer. John Carpenter was originally offered the chance to direct, but also wanted a say in the writing, musical score and final cut of the movie. Carpenter's original choice for the role of Santa was Brian Dennehy.

text: Among the original choices to direct the film other than Carpenter were Lewis Gilbert, who, despite initial interest, could not agree with the Salkinds over certain aspects of the script. Robert Wise was also offered the chance to direct, but Wise had a different approach to the story. Guy Hamilton, who'd had to withdraw from directing Superman: The Movie in 1976 (because he was a tax exile, and, as such, could only spend 30 days in England, where the movie would be filming), was very interested in directing and lobbied hard for the chance to do so, but only on the condition that the film be shot either in Los Angeles, Vancouver or Rome. Ultimately, the Salkinds chose Szwarc because of their excellent working relationship on Supergirl which many executives at TriStar Pictures believed was a masterpiece and would also become a mega hit.

text: Santa Claus: The Movie was filmed in Buckinghamshire, England at Pinewood Studios, between August and November 1984. The film was photographed by Arthur Ibbetson, whose credits, among others, included the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971). Santa Claus: The Movie was his final feature film. Serving as film editor was Peter Hollywood.

text: The production was designed by Anthony Pratt, with costume design concepts by Bob Ringwood. The visual effects unit, as well as several of the production staff, were Salkind stalwarts from the Superman films: Derek Meddings, director of visual and miniature effects; Roy Field, optical visual effects supervisor; and David Lane, flying and second unit director.

text: The documentary, Santa Claus: The Making of The Movie, which chronicles the film's production, is introduced by David Huddleston, speaking straight to the camera in character as Santa, with Dudley Moore serving as on-screen host. The voice over commentary is performed by Ted Maynard, who had also done voice-overs for the film's original UK trailer. The documentary originally aired in the United States on ABC, on Christmas Eve, 1987. Anchor Bay Entertainment's now-out-of-print 20th anniversary DVD of the film included this documentary as a bonus feature; the Lionsgate DVD and Blu-ray versions currently feature the 50-minute feature as well. The Blu-ray version, however, also features a brief chronicle of the filming of the " 'Christmas II' Press Conference" sequence, as well as additional deleted scenes cut from the original theatrical version.

text: Casting[edit]

text: Moore had always been the top choice to play the lead Elf in the movie, Ilya Salkind having remembered a scene in Arthur in which Liza Minnelli's character asks Moore if he is Santa's Little Helper. Moore was attached to the project virtually from the outset, and therefore had a say on both scripting and choice of director. Originally, David Newman's first-draft script called for the character to be named Ollie; but Moore decided instead that the name should be changed to Patch, Patch being the nickname of his own young son, Patrick. Moore was briefly considered to play the role of the 5th dimension imp "Mr. Mxyzptlk" in the Salkind's aborted original script from Superman III and for the role of Nigel in Supergirl. He turned down that role, but suggested his long time friend and comic partner Peter Cook for the part. Ilya Salkind, from the very beginning, had wanted an American actor to portray Santa Claus because he felt that the movie focused on a primary piece of Americana in much the same way that Superman: The Movie did. Brian Dennehy was the top choice of John Carpenter when he discussed the possibility of directing the film with the Salkinds. Jeannot Szwarc, however, felt that he needed an actor with more warmth than Dennehy, and toward that end, he had screen-tested such actors as David White (who, being in his late 60's, was considered too old for the role), and Moore's Arthur co-star Barney Martin. For a while, Ilya Salkind actively pursued Carroll O'Connor for the role before Szwarc showed him David Huddleston's screen-test, which won Salkind over.

text: For the role of B.Z., the producers wanted a star with a similar stature to Gene Hackman when he had played Lex Luthor in Superman: The Movie. To this end, they offered the role to Harrison Ford who turned them down. They made offers to Dustin Hoffman, Burt Reynolds and Johnny Carson --- all of whom, for one reason or another, turned the part down. Eventually, John Lithgow was settled on after Salkind watched Terms of Endearment and realised that he had a Grinch-type look to him. The role of the Ancient Elf was written with James Cagney in mind; however, with Cagney being very weak in his old age, the legendary actor could not adequately assume the role, despite the fact that he liked the film's overall idea. Nonetheless, Cagney had no other choice but to turn the offer down, so Fred Astaire was considered. When this eventually came to nothing, Dudley Moore suggested his friend Burgess Meredith for the role, which he in the end won. At the time of the movie's announcement in the middle of 1983, the British Press carried reports that diminutive actors such as David Jason, Patrick Troughton and Norman Wisdom would be cast alongside Dudley as fellow Elves. This ultimately came to nothing.

text: Santa's elves[edit]

text: The elves in the film are portrayed as legendary beings known as the Vendequm. According to the Santa Claus: The Movie novelization written by science fiction/fantasy novelist Joan D. Vinge, the elves keep watch over all that happens in the world that borders their own magical realm. The Vendequm are described as being extremely fond of children since, after all, only children can see them, due to the innocence of their youth. The elves are fond of making things for children, and so they often journeyed out into the children's world, leaving their newly crafted toys where children would find them. According to the novel, with the passing of each new century, and as civilizations continued to rise and fall, it became more and more difficult and dangerous for the elves to venture too far out into the human world. Thus, the vast majority of the toys the elves made could not be given out, and were left to gather dust in their magnificent storeroom, the Toy Tunnel.

text: The novel also describes how, on a certain long-winter's night, the oldest and wisest elf of all, the Ancient One, foresaw the arrival of a man whose love for children would be equal to that of the elves. The Ancient One believed that this man would be the one to whom the elves would grant full immortality, along with the ability to deliver the elves' gifts to children all over the world.

text: In addition to Patch, Dooley, Puffy, Boog, Honka, and Vout, the film's screenplay and cast listing features three additional elves: Groot, the Elves' Senior Chef; Goober, the head of the Elves' tailoring shop, who crafts Santa's full red robes; and Goobler, who trains several of his fellow elves in the art of painting toys with their own beards.

text: Reception[edit]

text: Santa Claus: The Movie received negative reviews upon release, with a rating of 17% on Rotten Tomatoes, from the 17 reviews counted.[1] Box Office Mojo lists the film's total United States box office gross as $23,717,291,[2] less than its $30–50 million production budget.[3]

text: Chicago Sun-Times critic Roger Ebert noted some positive points to the film, writing that the film "does an interesting job of visualizing Santa's workshop" and Santa's elves. He also praised the film's special effects, particularly the New York City fly-over sequence involving Santa. Ebert also had some praise for Lithgow's "nice, hateful performance", but wrote that "the villain is not drawn big enough." He ceded that young children would probably like most of the film, but that older children and adults are "likely to find a lot of it a little thin."[4]

text: Vincent Canby of The New York Times was less positive than Ebert, calling the production "elaborate and tacky". He described the film as having "the manner of a listless musical without any production numbers". Unlike Ebert, he offered little praise for the film's production design. Canby quipped that "Santa's workshop must be the world's largest purchaser of low-grade plywood" and that the flyover sequences with Santa "aren't great." The only praise he had for the film's acting was for John Lithgow, who Canby wrote "(gave) the film's only remotely stylish performance."[5] A more recent review by William Mager on BBC.co.uk's review section echoed Canby and Ebert's comments.[6]

text: In his book Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas, critic Alonso Duralde lists Santa Claus: The Movie in his chapter of worst Christmas movies ever. His reasons include weak plot, garish production design, blatant product placement (particularly for McDonald's, though Coke and Pabst Blue Ribbon are also prominent), and scenery-chewing overacting on the part of Lithgow. Duralde ultimately concludes that the film is "a train-wreck of a Christmas movie that's so very wrong that you won't be able to tear yourself away from it."[7]

text: Despite all this though the film has developed a cult following amongst those who have grown up with it, and become one of the definitive films to watch at Christmas, often being a seasonal television staple.

text: Soundtrack[edit]

text: The soundtrack score was composed and conducted by Henry Mancini, composer of the themes from The Pink Panther and Peter Gunn, with veteran lyricist and screenwriter Leslie Bricusse contributing five original songs. The song "It's Christmas (All Over The World)" was written by Bill House and John Hobbs with Freddie Mercury in mind. While it is known that Mercury recorded a demo for the House/Hobbs song at Pinewood Studios, he was never to make a full commitment to the project, as he and his Queen bandmates had already committed themselves to the Highlander soundtrack. In the end, Mercury turned down the project, stating that he felt that Queen had become overcrowded with requests to work on film soundtracks; as a result, Sheena Easton was ultimately chosen to record the tune. As mentioned on the DVD commentary of the movie by Jeannot Szwarc, Paul McCartney was asked to compose songs for the film. It is unknown why he did not do so in the end, but his song "Once Upon a Long Ago" had been indeed originally composed with the movie in mind.[8]

text:
"Main Title: Every Christmas Eve 1 and Santa's Theme (Giving)" (Mancini/Bricusse)
"Arrival of the Elves" (Mancini)
"Making Toys" (Mancini/Bricusse)2
"Christmas Rhapsody: Deck the Halls/Joy to the World/Hark! The Herald Angels Sing/12 Days of Christmas/O Tannenbaum/The First Noel/Silent Night"
"It's Christmas Again" (Mancini/Bricusse)2
"March of the Elves" (Mancini)
"Patch, Natch!" (Mancini/Bricusse) 3
"It's Christmas (All Over The World)" (Bill House, John Hobbs)5
"Shouldn't Do That" (Nick Beggs, Stuart Croxford, Neal Askew, Steve Askew) 4
"Sleigh Ride over Manhattan" (Mancini)
"Sad Patch" (Mancini)
"Patch Versus Santa" (Mancini)
"Thank You, Santa" (Mancini/Bricusse) 2

text:
1Sung by Aled Jones
2Performed by the Ambrosian Children's Choir.
3Performed by the Ambrosian Singers
4Produced by Ken Scott and performed by Kaja
5Produced by Keith Olsen for Pogologo Corporation, and performed by Sheena Easton.

text: The soundtrack was originally released on record and cassette by EMI Records in 1985. Soon after, it went out of print and remained unavailable until 2009 when it was released on CD by Singular Soundtrack of Spain. This was a limited run of 1000 copies which sold out immediately upon release. In a rare situation for the label, this production suffered from several issues, most notably a master which had been subjected to heavy noise reduction resulting in a loss of sound quality. Additionally, the left & right channels had been erroneously flipped, a superficial re-edit had been performed on "It's Christmas (All Over the World)", and the song "Shouldn't Do That" by Kaja (Kajagoogoo) had been omitted due to licensing issues. These issues necessitated a replacement pressing to correct many of the problems, save for the licensing issue. The replacement pressing had the unfortunate side-effect of introducing the lossy copies into the secondary market. (To differentiate, the original lossy edition has SER 808 #1 stamped in the center. The replacement disc has SER 879 #1 stamped in the center.[9])

text: At the time of the 2009 release, Singular Soundtrack became merged with Quartet Records, allowing the label to produce increasingly high-profile projects. Though problematic, the Singular edition had been well-received and had garnered enough ongoing interest to warrant an expansion. In 2012, following a run of successful releases, Quartet Records revisited the earlier release of Santa Claus: The Movie, this time with an ambitious goal: a complete score release from the original scoring tapes.

text: The resultant December 2012 release was an unlimited deluxe three-disc set including sixty-four tracks totaling just under three hours of music, and a 32-page analysis by celebrated historian Jeff Bond.[10] Every piece of score music used in the film was included, as well as several outtakes and alternates. The original soundtrack, which differs from the music recorded for the film, was remastered from the original source material, and the pop songs found on the original soundtrack were all represented, including the Kaja song "Shouldn't Do That."

text: Comic book adaptation[edit]

text: Marvel Comics published a comic book adaptation of the film by writer Sid Jacobson and artist Frank Springer in Marvel Super Special #39.[11][12]