Higher prices pushing workers closer to the edge

Workers earning a minimum wage in Washington today (that’s $8.07/hour – sub-poverty level for a single adult) are probably spending 18% of their paychecks on gas, at $4.00 a gallon, 15 gallons of gas a week.

Reporter Renata Stiehl (WENY-Twin TIers, NY) recently spent a week shopping on the paycheck of an average minimum wage worker. Her two-part series gives viewers a glimpse into the realities of trying to live on a minimum wage job: Part 1 | Part 2

Eight states have no minimum wage law on the books, or set a standard lower than the federal minimum of $5.85. Ten others match the federal rate. ACORN and the AFL-CIO have put together a video series of seven different families working full-time – and still falling behind – on minimum wage.

  • Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

More To Read

May 19, 2025

A year of reflections, a path forward

Read EOI Executive Director's 2025 Changemaker Dinner speech

March 24, 2025

Remembering former Washington State House Speaker Frank Chopp

Rep. Chopp was Washington state’s longest-serving Speaker of the House

February 11, 2025

The rising cost of health care is unsustainable and out of control

We have solutions that put people over profits