What would an increase in the federal minimum wage mean?

To those 6.5 million workers earning $5.15 an hour, more than half of whom are adults over 25, it would mean more money to support their families and pay their bills. But financial experts say the increase wouldn't go far and is not a solution to poverty.

By ELLEN SIMON
Associated Press

Two months into her minimum wage job at Target, Tara Dennis, 23, realized she and her three children would be better off if she was unemployed and on food stamps. So she quit.

"As a single mom, minimum wage isn't going to get me ahead. It's not even going to get me caught up," said Dennis, who lives in Missoula, Mont.