How Many Are Scraping by on Low Wages in Your State?
by Olivia Sandbothe | June 17, 2014
The darker colors on this map indicate the higher percentages of low-wage workers that would benefit from an increase in the minimum wage.
As the economy continues to stagnate, more and more families struggle to get by on less than a living wage. Low wages are starting to look like a permanent and poisonous feature of our economic landscape. This issue is no longer about teenagers working after-school jobs – low wages are everywhere and affect all types of workers. Today, the average worker making less than $10.10 per hour is 35 years old and earns half of his or her family’s income.
That’s why AFSCME joined with the White House and others in calling for a higher minimum wage. In February, President Obama issued an order that anyone working on federal government programs must be paid at least $10.10 per hour. This month, the Department of Labor began implementing that order. States and municipalities are starting to follow suit. But to really make a difference for all workers, Congress needs to raise the federal minimum wage.
What difference would $10.10 an hour make where you live? A new map from Oxfam breaks down states and congressional districts by the number of people who would benefit from a higher minimum wage.
Don’t forget to click here to tell your elected representatives that America needs a raise!