Democrats in the House and Senate have announced a bill to raise the federal minimum wage gradually from its current $7.25 to $15 by 2024. If inflation averages 2 percent between now and 2024, a $15 minimum wage in 2024 would be worth $12.50 in today’s dollars. This increase would place the federal minimum wage well above its previous highest real value, reached in the late 1960s, when the minimum wage was about $10 in today’s dollars. Advocates for the $15 minimum wage argue that it will help workers make ends meet and reduce inequality, improve child health and education outcomes, and stimulate the economy with more purchasing power for low-wage workers. Opponents argue that high minimum wages will kill jobs, hurt small businesses, and raise prices.