(WHTM) - At $7.25 an hour, Pennsylvania is one of 20 states that has not raised its minimum wage above the federal requirement set in 2009.

In 2023, there were an estimated 67,800 Pennsylvania workers earning minimum wage or less, about 6.6% higher than in 2022, according to the annual PA Minimum Wage Report released by the Department of Labor & Industry on March 1, 2024.

Workers earning minimum wage or less represented 2.1% of hourly workers and 1.1% of all workers.

Approximately 68% of those making minimum wage in Pennsylvania are 20 and older, while 31.6% are between 16-19 years old.

Most Pennsylvania workers earning minimum wage are in the food services, drinking places, construction, and other services industries, notes the report. In 2023, 69% of Pennsylvanians who earned the minimum wage or less worked in food preparation & serving-related occupations.

The number of those working at or below minimum wage has fallen significantly, nearly 30% since 2018.

There's also an estimated 335,100 Pennsylvania workers were earning between $7.26 to $12 an hour.

Many have called for a $15-an-hour minimum wage in Pennsylvania with some lawmakers calling for as high as $20 an hour. Four states in 2023 had a minimum wage of at least $15 an hour.

Since 1997, the minimum wage in Pennsylvania has only gone up three times after it was $5.15 an hour.

"While the nominal minimum wage has not changed since 2009, changes in the economy
and other factors have impacted those earning the minimum wage or less," said the report.

According to the PA Minimum Wage Report, in 2023 there were 869,900 Pennsylvania workers who earn less than $15 an hour.

"In 2023, the U.S. and Pennsylvania had similar experiences regarding increases in employment and wages. Both wage distributions also shifted away from wage categories between $7.25 and $15.00 [at minimum wage, near minimum wage ($7.26 $12.00), and $12.01 - $15.00], while increasing in both volume and percentage in the above $15.00 category."

The full report can be read below:

The median wage for hourly workers in Pennsylvania did increase from $18.16 in 2022 to $19.85 in 2023, ahead of the $19.20 an-hour average last year in the United States.