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Today the debate over the minimum wage is often between those who argue that higher minimum wages produce fewer employment opportunities for our youth and those who argue the minimum wage benefits those living in poverty. Numerous studies have produced facts and statistics that support both sides of the minimum wage debate. We will cover these pros and cons throughout this paper. The minimum wage was first enacted into law as part of the Fair labor Standards Act of 1938. The original minimum wage applied to workers engaged in interstate commerce and the production of goods for interstate commerce. Prior to the Federal Labor Standards Act when states were adopting their own, minimum wages only applied to women in the form of “protective labor legislation.” This legislation initially served to justify the maximum hours a woman could work, because there were biological differences between men and women. During this period it was assumed men did not need this type of protection but a woman, because of their weaker position and their natural susceptibility to be exploited, needed a greater level of protection. However after the Constitution was amended in 1920 to give women the right to vote, the United States Supreme Cou