The minimum wage was instituted to ensure workers:

• A. receive a basic standard of living through guaranteed minimum earnings
• B. work only part-time hours
• C. can negotiate higher wages without government intervention
• D. are paid according to their productivity

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the purpose of a minimum wage: it is a legally mandated lowest hourly wage that employers can pay workers.
2. Recognize that the minimum wage aims to protect workers from earning wages that are too low to meet basic living expenses.
3. Evaluate each option in the context of minimum wage objectives: it is not designed to limit working hours, enable wage negotiation without government, or directly tie pay to productivity.
4. Identify that the minimum wage ensures workers receive a basic standard of living by guaranteeing minimum earnings.
5. Conclude that the correct interpretation of the minimum wage is to provide workers with a guaranteed minimum income to support a basic standard of living.