Final answer:
Malcolm's hourly wage increased from $12.50 to $13.20, which calculates to a 5.6% increase. This was determined by finding the absolute increase and then converting it to a percent relative to the original wage.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the percent increase in Malcolm's hourly wage from his first year to his second year, we need to find the absolute increase first and then relate that to the original (year 1) wage to find the percentage change.
The absolute increase in his wage from year 1 to year 2 is $13.20 - $12.50 = $0.70. To find the percentage increase, we divide the absolute increase by the original wage and multiply by 100:
Percent Increase = ($0.70 / $12.50) x 100
When you calculate this, you get:
Percent Increase = 0.056 x 100
Percent Increase = 5.6%
Therefore, Malcolm's wage increased by 5.6% from his first year to his second year.