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Employment rates and thresholds: United States

The United States numbers an employer needs in one place: pay floors, contributions, leave and termination minimums. Each row carries its source.

What are the key United States employment rates for 2026?

The federal minimum wage remains US$7.25 an hour (unchanged since 2009), the overtime exemption threshold is US$684 a week, and Social Security applies to the first US$184,500 of wages in 2026.

The United States numbers, each with its source

Pay floors

Item2026 figureSource
Federal minimum wageUS$7.25/hour, unchanged since 2009; states frequently set higherUS DOL
Tipped cash minimumUS$2.13/hour, provided tips top wages up to US$7.25US DOL
Overtime exemption thresholdUS$684/week (US$35,568/year), restored May 2026 after the 2024 rule was vacatedUS DOL
Highly compensated employee thresholdUS$107,432/yearUS DOL

Employer contributions

Item2026 figureSource
Social Security (employer)6.2% up to US$184,500 (2026); maximum US$11,439SSA
Medicare (employer)1.45%, no cap; the 0.9% surtax above US$200,000 is employee-onlyIRS
FUTANet 0.6% of the first US$7,000 (max US$42), credit-reduction states exceptedIRS
SUTA and workers compensationState- and industry-rated; variesUS DOL
ACA employer mandateApplies at 50+ full-time equivalent employeesIRS

Leave and holidays

Item2026 figureSource
Paid vacation / paid holidaysNone mandated federally (typical practice: 11 vacation days after a year, per BLS)US DOL / BLS
Paid sick leaveNone federally; 17 states plus DC mandate itCRS
FMLA12 weeks unpaid, job-protected, for eligible employees at 50+ employee firmsUS DOL

Termination

Item2026 figureSource
Individual dismissal noticeNone (at-will employment)US DOL
WARN Act60 days' notice for qualifying mass layoffs at 100+ employee firmsUS DOL
Statutory severanceNone; contract or policy onlyUS DOL

Cross-market context for every one of these figures: employer costs, notice periods, redundancy pay, sick pay and annual leave, all six markets side by side.

Where Compono fits

Rates and thresholds are the part of employment you can look up. Whether the people those rates buy will perform is the part you cannot, and it is where most hiring cost actually hides. Compono gives you the people data to make hires you can defend in any market.

See how it works

Common questions

Where do these United States figures come from?

Every row links its government source: the US Department of Labor. We checked each figure against that source in July 2026 and note the effective date where a rate changed recently.

How often do these rates change?

Most reset annually. We review the full table each year and after major legislative changes, and the last-reviewed date in the footer tells you exactly where you stand.

How current are these figures?

Every figure on this page was checked against the named government source in July 2026. We review the whole set annually and after major legislative changes, and the sources section lists the exact page we verified each market against.

This page is general information, not legal advice. We check figures annually and update them on a best-efforts basis, but employment rules change and we cannot promise everything here is current or complete. Before you act on it, confirm the detail with the US Department of Labor or your own adviser. Last reviewed July 2026.