Raise the Wage Scorecard
The federal minimum wage has been stuck at $7.25 for ten years. In that time, the cost of living has continued to climb, leaving millions of families working harder than ever, but falling behind.
The Raise the Wage Act of 2019 would gradually raise the wage to $15 by 2024. Nationwide, it would benefit nearly 40 million workers – 27 percent of the workforce. Here’s how it would benefit workers in .
Workers who would benefit from a $15 minimum wage by 2024
workers in would benefit from increasing the minimum wage to $15.
Percentage all workers that would benefit
Gender
Percentage within each demographic group that would benefit
| U.S. average | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working men | XX,XXX | XX.X% | 16,716,000 | 21.7% |
| Working women | XX,XXX | XX.X% | 22,957,000 | 31.7% |
Race/ethnicity and gender
Percentage within each racial or ethnic group that would benefit
| Whites | |
| African Americans | |
| Latinos | |
| Asian American or other | |
| Black and Latina women | |
| Black and Latino men |
Family composition
When wages are lifted for workers, their families benefit, too. Millions of the workers who would benefit are parents, and a vast majority of single parents would benefit from the bump to $15.
Percentage within each demographic group that would benefit
| U.S. average | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single parents | XX,XXX | XX.X% | 5,355,000 | 38.9% |
| Married parents | XX,XXX | XX.X% | 5,887,000 | 15.6% |
| Working mothers | XX,XXX | XX.X% | 7,824,000 | 33.6% |
| Working fathers | XX,XXX | XX.X% | 3,416,000 | 14.7% |
Age
A common misperception is that many minimum wage jobs are filled by teenagers who add little to the family’s income. The reality is that workers of every age would benefit from a boost in the minimum wage.
Percent within each demographic group that would benefit
| 16-24 years old | |
| 25-39 | |
| 40-54 | |
| 55+ |
Percent of total workers in benefiting who are teenagers versus adults
Notes
-
Data by state: While the federal minimum wage has been stuck at $7.25 since 2009, many states and cities have increased the minimum wage. As the wage floor rises in an area, it lifts wages for most workers.
These differences are reflected in the numbers of workers who would benefit from a raise to $15. For example, the minimum wage in California is $11 in 2019, and is increasing to $15 by 2024; this means that no workers would benefit from the raise in the federal minimum. (It does not, obviously, mean that no workers are earning low wages.) Some cities within California currently have a minimum of $15.
For more information on state labor policies, visit oxfamamerica.org/statemap.
- Data on workers who benefit: “Directly affected workers” are those who would otherwise be paid less than $15 in 2024. “Indirectly affected workers” are those expected to have a wage rate just above the new minimum wage. They are likely to receive a raise as employer pay scales are adjusted upward to reflect the new minimum wage.
Sources
- Data supplied by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI). The EPI Minimum Wage Simulation Model uses data from the Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Congressional Budget Office.