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NEWS DECEMBER 9, 2019 ¦ 17

While Economy Booms, Nearly Half of U.S.
Workforce in Low-Wage Jobs

By Scott Wooldridge

Anew study by the Brookings Institution finds
that 44 percent of Americans have jobs that
qualify as “low-wage.”
The study said that 55 million people in the U.S.
fall into that category, with median hourly wages
of $10.22, and median annual earnings of about
$18,000.

“The existence of low-wage work is hardly a sur-
prise, but most people—except, perhaps, low-wage
workers themselves—underestimate how prevalent
it is,” the report said. It added that despite popular
perceptions, low wage workers are not just students
or people at the beginning of careers. “A majority are
adults in their prime working years, and low-wage
work is the primary way they support themselves
and their families,” the study said.

Hard to escape, impossible to live without
The Brookings report suggests that in many cases,
low-wage employment is not a springboard to better
jobs. “In our analysis, over half of low-wage work- Low-wage workers are not simply supplementing other
ers have levels of education suggesting they will stay family income—their jobs are essential for their family’s
low-wage workers,” the report said.
basic needs. (Photo: Shutterstock)

And low-wage workers are not simply supplement- low-wage workers ranged from a low of 30 percent
ing other family income—their jobs are essential for of a community’s workforce to a high of 62 percent.
their family’s basic needs. “These workers get by Smaller communities in the southern and western
on very low incomes: about $30,000 for a family of U.S. tended to have higher numbers of low-wage
three and $36,000 for a family of four,” the report workers.
said. “Twenty-six percent of low-wage workers (14 But even large metropolitan areas with boom-
million people) are the only earners in their fami- ing economies can have high numbers of low-wage
lies, getting by on median annual earnings of about workers. “Places with some of the highest wages
$20,000. Another 25 percent (13 million people) live and most productive economies are home to large
in families in which all workers earn low wages, with numbers of low-wage workers: nearly one million in
median family earnings of about $42,000.” the Washington, D.C. region; 700,000 each in Bos-
ton and San Francisco; and 560,000 in Seattle,” the
Low-wage workers are common in every part report said. “Addressing the challenge of low wages
combined with high housing prices is a key issue in
of the country
The researchers looked at data from 400 met- these places.”
ropolitan areas and found that the percentage of
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