Which U.S. state enacted the first minimum-wage law in 1912?

Massachusetts enacted the first minimum-wage law by a U.S. state in 1912.

The law emerged during the Progressive Era, when reformers sought to address very low pay and poor working conditions in industries employing women and children. Massachusetts created a wage commission that investigated working conditions and recommended minimum pay levels for certain occupations.

The early law differed substantially from modern U.S. minimum-wage statutes. It initially relied on recommendations and focused on protecting women and minors rather than establishing one universal hourly rate for every worker. Later state and federal laws expanded coverage and made wage floors more enforceable.

Massachusetts was not the first government worldwide to adopt a minimum-wage system: New Zealand introduced a national framework in 1894. In the United States, the federal Fair Labor Standards Act later established a nationwide minimum wage in 1938.