The Economic Consequences of Homelessness in The US

Myth #4: Working longer and harder will pay off.
After years of hard work and long hours, some workers start the climb up the ladder to
better jobs. They may become managers of the fast food franchise, or shift supervisors
on the line in a plant. They may shift from hourly to salaried, and enjoy an increase in
benefits and flexibility.
Or not. They may find they’re working longer hours and seeing their pay actually shrink
per hour. Until the Obama administration recently raised the threshold for overtime pay,
the cap had been stuck at $23,600 since 1975. Any salaried worker making more than
that would not be compensated at “time and a half” for hours worked beyond 40 per
week. This included about 92 percent of the salaried workforce – and clearly brought
many more benefits to employers than modestly paid employees.
In May, the threshold was raised to $47,476, which impacts 12.5 million workers,
especially women and people of color. Still, some in Congress are threatening to block
implementation of the updated rule.
Myth #5: Most jobs pay a living wage.
Of the top ten occupations in the US in 2015, only two pay a median wage of over
$15.25 an hour: registered nurses and secretaries. The top three are retail sales at
$10.47, cashiers at $9.82, and food preparation and serving at $9.09.
Nationwide, more than 11 million people in these occupations alone (mostly women)
scramble to sustain families on wages that often fall well below the official federal
poverty guidelines.
Many of them find they simply cannot survive on these wages, and turn to government
programs and private charities for help. A recent study from the Economic Policy
Institute estimates that 41 million workers tap public assistance programs such as food
stamps, housing subsidies, and cash assistance. Overall, it mounts up to over $200
billion a year in taxpayer dollars.
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Here’s The Painful Truth About What It Means To Be
‘Working Poor’ In America
By Nick Wing and Carly Schwartz
05/19/2014 08:23 am ET Updated Dec 06, 2017
In a nation that has long operated on the principle that an “American Dream” is available
to anyone willing to try hard enough, the term “working poor” may seem to have a bright
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