Use the Consumer Price Index Below to Answer the Question

Essay

Use the Consumer Price Index below to answer the question. $$\begin{array}{l}\text { Average Annual Consumer Price Index (1982-1984 = 100) }\\\begin{array} { c | c | c | c | c | c } \text { Year } & \text { CPI } & \text { Year } & \text { CPI } & \text { Year } & \text { CPI } \\\hline 1986 & 109.6 & 1995 & 152.4 & 2004 & 188.9 \\1987 & 113.6 & 1996 & 156.9 & 2005 & 195.3 \\1988 & 118.3 & 1997 & 160.5 & 2006 & 201.6 \\1989 & 124.0 & 1998 & 163.0 & 2007 & 207.3 \\1990 & 130.7 & 1999 & 166.6 & 2008 & 215.3 \\1991 & 136.2 & 2000 & 172.2 & 2009 & 214.5 \\1992 & 140.3 & 2001 & 177.1 & 2010 & 218.1 \\1993 & 144.5 & 2002 & 179.9 & 2011 & 224.9 \\1994 & 148.2 & 2003 & 184.0 & 2012 & 229.6\end{array}\end{array}$$
-The table below shows the federal hourly minimum wage in various years. $$\begin{array} { l | c } \text { Year } & \text { Minimum wage } \\\hline 1990 & \$ 3.50 \\1991 & \$ 4.25 \\1996 & \$ 4.75 \\1997 & \$ 5.15\end{array}$$ What was the relative change in the minimum wage from 1990 to 1997? How does this
compare to the overall rate of inflation as measured by the CPI? In which of those two
years was the purchasing power of the minimum wage higher?