The Crisis of Low Wages: Who earns less than $17 an hour in the U.S. in 2024?
According to new data from Oxfam, there are more than 39 million low wage workers in the United States, defined here as any worker earning less than $17 an hour. This translates to 23 percent of the US workforce, or nearly one in four workers in the US. This new research includes a full demographic picture of low wage workers including race, gender, intersecting race & gender, age, parental status, and tipped wage worker status. Our findings demonstrate that women and communities of color, especially Black and Latin or Hispanic workers, are most impacted by low wages and stagnating minimum wage policies. To explore the data, please check out the interactive map.