Low-wage Workers Are Older and Better Educated than Ever
Apr 2, 2012
Author(s): Barbera, J.; Jones, Janelle; Schmitt, John
Publisher(s): Center for Economic and Policy Research
Issue Area(s): Aging; Education and Literacy; Employment and Labor
Author(s): Barbera, J.; Jones, Janelle; Schmitt, John
Publisher(s): Center for Economic and Policy Research
Issue Area(s): Aging; Education and Literacy; Employment and Labor
Relative to any of the most common benchmarks -- the cost of living, the wages of the average worker, or average productivity levels -- the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour is well below its historical value. These usual reference points, however, understate the true erosion in the minimum wage in recent decades because the average low-wage worker today is both older and much better educated than the average low-wage worker was in the past.
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