Very few Americans actually earn the federal minimum wage, which is good context for anyone worried that minimum-wage jobs define the economy.

• Only 79,000 people in America made the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour last year.
• That is far fewer than most people assume, undercutting the idea that millions are stuck at the bottom rate.
• Most who earn it are young, under 25, often teenagers in their first jobs.
• These jobs are concentrated in rural, low-cost areas like Arkansas and South Dakota, not big cities.

Outlook: With so few workers actually on the federal minimum and most cities and states already paying more, the $7.25 rate matters far less to the labor market than the debate suggests.