In 2025, the federal minimum wage is officially a “poverty wage.” The annual earnings of a single adult working full-time, year-round at $7.25 an hour now fall below the poverty threshold of $15,650 (established by the Department of Health and Human Services guidelines). The limitations of how the federal government calculates poverty understate how far…

In 2025, the federal minimum wage is officially a “poverty wage.” The annual earnings of a single adult working full-time, year-round at $7.25 an hour now fall below the poverty threshold of $15,650 (established by the Department of Health and Human Services guidelines). The limitations of how the federal government calculates poverty understate how far the minimum wage is from economic security for workers and their families.

  • bss03@infosec.pubEnglish
    1·
    13 hours ago

    A living wage in #Arkansas, one of the cheapest/poorest states is between $22 and $23 per hour.

    Democrats won’t, but they could campaign on 30$/hr (25$/hr tipped), and then be “reasonable” and “negotiate” down to passing a living federal wage based on the cheapest/poorest state, adjusted each year on labor day to ensure it is a living wage. (It would still exceed 15$/hr.)