Related
documents:
Economic Policy Institute, Step
Up, Not Out: The case for raising the federal minimum wage for workers
in every state
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ABOUT USThe Minnesota Budget Project is an initiative of the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits.
91,120 Minnesota Workers Would Get a Raise Under Proposed Federal Minimum Wage HikeA proposal before Congress to increase the minimum wage from $5.15 to $6.65 would benefit 91,120 Minnesotans, or 4% of the state’s total workforce, according to an analysis released this week by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI). Female, African American, and Hispanic workers would be disproportionately helped by such an increase, according to the report. Although specific numbers are not available for Minnesota, data show that African Americans only make up 11.7% of the U.S. workforce, but 18.1% of those who would benefit from the minimum wage hike are African American. Similarly, Hispanic workers are 11.3% of the workforce, but make up 14.4% of the beneficiaries of a minimum wage increase. Despite a common misconception about minimum wage workers, 68.2% of minimum wage workers are adults, not teenagers. An increase in the minimum wage is overdue, as its buying power has declined over time with inflation; the minimum wage today is worth 24% less than in 1979. The decline in the value of the minimum wage means that minimum wage workers are no longer able to lift their families out of poverty. In order for a full-time, year-round worker to raise a family of three to the 2000 poverty line through earnings alone, the minimum wage would need to be $6.80 per hour. Although Minnesota has enjoyed strong economic growth in recent years, we are constantly reminded of the struggles faced by the state’s lowest-paid workers, as they face an affordable housing crisis and record-high heating bills. Minnesotans should support Congressional efforts to help these hard-working families receive a well-deserved raise. Updated February 9, 2001 |
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