Are you making a living wage? You probably know about minimum wage, but did you know it is not the same as a living wage? A minimum wage is a standard set by law, but it does NOT guarantee the worker will be able to afford basic needs such as food, utilities, health care and housing.
Many women working full-time jobs in America live in poverty because they do not make a living wage. How many minimum wage jobs must a mom work just to afford basic needs such as food, housing, and health care? Depends on where you live.
The living wage for each community is unique and is determined by the costs in that area. You can find out the living wage in your community or region using the Living Wage Calculator.
If a worker receives pay below $10 an hour at a job that does not offer benefits such as affordable health insurance, then the worker and her family members may decide not to get even basic healthcare such as vaccinations, mammograms, pelvic exams, and other screenings.
Here's the stats on living wage, poverty wage, and minimum wage in NY, NY according to the living wage calculator:
| Hourly Wages | One Adult | One Adult, One Child | Two Adults | Two Adults, One Child | Two Adults, Two Children |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Living Wage | $11.86 | $19.66 | $16.29 | $24.10 | $30.30 |
| Poverty Wage | $5.04 | $6.68 | $6.49 | $7.81 | $9.83 |
| Minimum Wage | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 |
Poverty rates are highest for families headed by single women. Children represent a disproportionate share of the poor in the United States. According to the National Poverty Center at the University of Michigan:
Children are 24 percent of the total population, but 36 percent of the poor population. In 2010, 16.4 million children, or 22.0 percent, were poor.
When women (and men) can not earn a living wage their families suffer. According to Feeding America:
In 2009, 4.8 percent of all U.S. households (5.6 million households) accessed emergency food from a food pantry one or more times.
Obviously, earning the federal minimum wage is not enough to bring a family out of poverty. The minimum wage is a starting point, but because it is not a reflection of the actual cost of living, a person working full-time at minimum wage will not earn enough to pay for all of the most basic living expenses.
Photo: D Sharon Pruitt
