The Economic Consequences of Homelessness in The US

e falling toward economic catastrophe: days or weeks without pay can mean missing
rent, skimping on groceries, turning off the heat.
Myth #3: The low-wage workforce cuts across all populations: race, gender, age
While this has an element of truth, the core reality is that women and people of color do
more than their fair share of low-wage work.
The majority of low-wage workers are white, but black and Hispanic workers are far
more likely to be in low-wage jobs. More than half (53 percent) of black workers and 60
percent of Hispanic workers earn under $15 an hour. In some states, the numbers are
staggering: in North Carolina, three quarters of Hispanic workers earn under $15 an
hour.
Despite women representing less than half of the workforce (49 percent), they are well
over half (nearly 55 percent) of those earning under $12 an hour. Many low-wage
occupations (childcare workers, cashiers) are dominated by women. Even in other
occupations, however, women earn less per hour than do men.
Finally, black and Hispanic women earn the lowest median wages per hour of any
group. Hispanic women earn slightly more than half of what white men earn, roughly 54
cents to the dollar; black women make 64 cents to the dollar.
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