There was good news and bad news for America's lowest wage earners this week. The second of three annual minimum wage increases went into effect yesterday. The federal minimum wage is now $6.55 per hour, up from $5.85.

That's the good news. The bad news is that the increase has already been eaten up by the escalating cost of gas, food and simply living in America.

When the third installment of the federal minimum wage kicks in at $7.25 an hour next year, even that benchmark won't do much to raise the fortunes of those in the country's economic basement.

At $7.15 an hour, Pennsylvania's minimum wage is currently higher than the federal minimum. It went into effect July 1.

Inflation has always been the great enemy of the minimum wage, and it shows no sign of withholding its bite. The price of food is up more than 5 percent in the last year and energy up 25 percent. Over time, the minimum wage has not kept pace with inflation.

Still, 2 million Americans are marginally better off now than they were a few days ago. The minimum wage will never be confused with a living wage, but for those who live from paycheck to paycheck, even a minuscule increase will come in handy.

Getting the minimum wage passed by a Congress with a slight Democratic majority was difficult enough, but the failure to have a wage that is adjusted to inflation makes it a Pyrrhic victory for those languishing at the bottom rungs of the economy.