Let your friend's hourly wage last year be $x.
125% of x = 10.50
[tex]\frac{125}{100}[/tex] x = 10.5
[tex]\frac{5}{4}[/tex] x = 10.5
5x = 42
x = $8.40
Your friend's hourly wage last year was $8.40.
I hope this helps! If you have any doubts, feel free to ask.
