6 Comments
User's avatar
⭠ Return to thread
Hamilton Nolan's avatar

$20 an hour = $40k per year at full time hours.

Expand full comment
Manqueman's avatar

I knew I had it screwed up some how.

So I supposed I’ll do the math and figure out how $15/hour was a living wage in the parts of the country where I’ve seen it advertised.

Thanks!

Expand full comment
Kevin's avatar

when the fight for 15 started it was doubling the minimum wage. that's certainly not "enough" but in 2012 it was ambitious. 30,000 also approached a minimal living wage. 8 years on that goal is still double the federal minimum wage (regrettably) but clearly needs an update for inflation - hence fighting for $20 in fast food and $25 in healthcare. fighting for the minimum to be an actual living wage and indexed to inflation seems a pretty good goal.

Expand full comment
Manqueman's avatar

Sooo… a nationwide mandatory wage is still not all that much of a goal, likewise a minimum wage linked to automatic raises linked to inflation?

Expand full comment
Manqueman's avatar

Oops! $15 x 40 hours x 50 weeks is $30,000.

As for $40,000, that obviously is not a living wage nationwide.

I suppose my ignorance or whatever what efforts are pushing for same?

Expand full comment
Eric Deamer's avatar

The Federal (national) minimum wage is the only tool to raise wages uniformly across the country and it hasn't been raised since 2009 and the US Congress has not been able to raise it regardless of which party is in control. The wages that different states, and sometimes even different municipalities, are aiming for are different due to different costs of living. On the west coast there's a general feeling that things cost a lot so there's some support for somewhat higher wages for lower wage workers. In the midwest and south things are very different.

Expand full comment