Apr 7, 2022 - News

Millions of Texan workers don't make a "living wage"

Reproduced from Oxfam America via U.S. Census; Map: Axios Visuals

Nearly 40% of all Texas workers make less than $15 per hour, according to an Oxfam America analysis of census data.

Why it matters: A huge swath of the population is living on less than the "living wage."

Between the lines: In business friendly Texas, measures to raise the state minimum wage went nowhere in the last legislative session.

Details: About 5.7 million Texas workers would benefit from the state increasing its minimum wage to $15 an hour, per Oxfam, a nonprofit whose mission is "to advocate for economic justice."

By the numbers: Workers of color are more likely to make less than $15 per hour compared to their white counterparts in Texas.

  • 48% of Black workers and 54% of Latino workers make less than $15 per hour, compared to 26.5% of white workers.
  • 60% of Texas women of color earn less than $15 per hour, compared to the national average of 50%.
  • 49% of women workers make less than $15 per hour in Texas, compared to nearly 42% of men.

Flashback: In January, we drilled down how minimum wage issues are playing out in Austin.

  • Spoiler alert: Even as the cost of living skyrockets, especially in Austin, the floor for wages remains stagnant — causing special pain for people living on the margins and working low-paying jobs.
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