Jobs Affected By The Minimum Wage
The jobs that are most likely to be directly affected by the minimum wage are the ones that pay a wage close to the minimum.
According to the May 2006 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, the four lowest-paid occupational sectors in May 2006 (when the federal minimum wage was $5.15 per hour) were the following:
Sector | Workers Employed | Median Wage | Mean Wage | Mean Annual |
---|---|---|---|---|
Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations | 11,029,280 | $7.90 | $8.86 | $18,430 |
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations | 450,040 | $8.63 | $10.49 | $21,810 |
Personal Care and Service Occupations | 3,249,760 | $9.17 | $11.02 | $22,920 |
Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations | 4,396,250 | $9.75 | $10.86 | $22,580 |
Two years later, in May 2008, when the federal minimum wage was $5.85 per hour and was about to increase to $6.55 per hour in July 2008, these same sectors were still the lowest-paying, but their situation (according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data) was:
Sector | Workers Employed | Median Wage | Mean Wage | Mean Annual |
---|---|---|---|---|
Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations | 11,438,550 | $8.59 | $9.72 | $20,220 |
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations | 438,490 | $9.34 | $11.32 | $23,560 |
Personal Care and Service Occupations | 3,437,520 | $9.82 | $11.59 | $24,120 |
Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations | 4,429,870 | $10.52 | $11.72 | $24,370 |
In 2006, workers in the following 13 individual occupations received, on average, a median hourly wage of less than $8.00 per hour:
Occupation | Workers Employed | Median Wage | Mean Wage | Mean Annual |
---|---|---|---|---|
Gaming Dealers | 82,960 | $7.08 | $8.18 | $17,010 |
Waiters and Waitresses | 4,312,930 | $3.14 | $4.27 | $11,190 |
Combined Food Preparation and Serving Workers, Including Fast Food | 2,461,890 | $7.24 | $7.66 | $15,930 |
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | 401,790 | $7.36 | $7.84 | $16,320 |
Cooks, Fast Food | 612,020 | $7.41 | $7.67 | $15,960 |
Dishwashers | 502,770 | $7.57 | $7.78 | $16,190 |
Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers | 101,530 | $7.64 | $8.41 | $17,500 |
Counter Attendants, Cafeteria, Food Concession, and Coffee Shop | 524,410 | $7.76 | $8.15 | $16,950 |
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | 340,390 | $7.78 | $8.10 | $16,860 |
Shampooers | 15,580 | $7.78 | $8.20 | $17,050 |
Amusement and Recreation Attendants | 235,670 | $7.83 | $8.43 | $17,530 |
Bartenders | 485,120 | $7.86 | $8.91 | $18,540 |
Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | 230,780 | $7.95 | $8.48 | $17,630 |
In 2008, only two occupations paid a median wage less than $8.00 per hour:
Occupation | Workers Employed | Median Wage | Mean Wage | Mean Annual |
---|---|---|---|---|
Gaming Dealers | 91,130 | $7.84 | $9.56 | $19,890 |
Combined Food Preparation and Serving Workers, Including Fast Food | 2,708,840 | $7.90 | $8.36 | $17,400 |
According to the May 2009 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, the lowest-paid occupational sectors in May 2009 (when the federal minimum wage was $7.25 per hour) were the following:
Sector | Workers Employed | Median Wage | Mean Wage | Mean Annual |
---|---|---|---|---|
Gaming Dealers | 86,900 | $8.19 | $9.76 | $20,290 |
Combined Food Preparation and Serving Workers, Including Fast Food | 2,695,740 | $8.28 | $8.71 | $18,120 |
Waiters and Waitresses | 2,302,070 | $8.50 | $9.80 | $20,380 |
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | 402,020 | $8.51 | $9.09 | $18,900 |
Cooks, Fast Food | 539,520 | $8.52 | $8.76 | $18,230 |
Read more about this topic: Minimum Wage In The United States
Famous quotes containing the words jobs, affected, minimum and/or wage:
“We have not been fair with the Negro and his education. He has not had adequate or ample education to permit him to qualify for many jobs that are open to him.”
—Lyndon Baines Johnson (19081973)
“We cannot think of a legitimate argument why ... whites and blacks need be affected by the knowledge that an aggregate difference in measured intelligence is genetic instead of environmental.... Given a chance, each clan ... will encounter the world with confidence in its own worth and, most importantly, will be unconcerned about comparing its accomplishments line-by-line with those of any other clan. This is wise ethnocentricism.”
—Richard Herrnstein (19301994)
“After decades of unappreciated drudgery, American women just dont do housework any morethat is, beyond the minimum that is required in order to clear a path from the bedroom to the front door so they can get off to work in the mourning.”
—Barbara Ehrenreich (20th century)
“I wage not any feud with Death
For changes wrought on form and face;
No lower life that earths embrace
May breed with him can fright my faith.”
—Alfred Tennyson (18091892)