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Living Wage Facts
(updated July 2007)
A worker who
earns the minimum wage ($5.85 per hour) would need to work
at
least 68 hours a week to be above the federal poverty level for a family of
four. Working this many hours at this wage would only lift his or her family
above the poverty line if the worker never missed any work time for sickness,
holidays, or vacation. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)
Working full-time for 50
weeks a year, a workers would need to earn at least
$10.33 an
hour to be above the poverty line for a family of four. A worker would
need to earn at least $13.42 an hour to be above the income level that
qualifies
for Food Stamps for a family of four. (U.S.
Department of Health and
Human Services)
Most poverty experts
believe that the federal poverty level is an outdate measure
that is too low. A 2002 study entitled "What is a Living Wage for Memphis?"
has found that the wage needed to meet basic needs for
housing, transportation,
food, childcare, clothing, and
health care in Memphis is about twice as high as
the poverty level.
(University of Memphis, Center for Research on Women)
"What is a Living Wage for
Memphis?" finds that in a family of four where both
parents work, each parent would need to earn at least $10.04 an hour to meet
their basic
living expenses. A single parent with two children would need
to
earn at least $15.64 an hour if working full-time.
(University of Memphis,
Center for Research on Women)
The median wage for child
care workers, one of the fastest growing occupations
in Memphis, is $6.70 an hour. Home health aides, another fast growing job in
our community, earn $7.50 an hour on average. (Tennessee Department
of Labor
and Workforce Development; Bureau of Labor Statistics)
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