More than 1.5 million workers in North Carolina earn less than $17 per hour, according to new data from Oxfam, a global income equality advocacy nonprofit.
Why it matters: A higher percentage of workers in North Carolina earn less than $17 per hour compared to the national average, a threshold Oxfam now defines as low-wage, up from the previous $15 per hour.
By the numbers: North Carolina's average is 28.8% compared to the U.S. average of 23.2%.
37% of North Carolina workers made less than $15 per hour, according to Oxfam's 2022 report, compared to a 31.9% nationwide average.
Zoom out: Texas, West Virginia, Louisiana, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Mississippi rank below North Carolina.
The big picture: Wages have risen in part because of inflation, a strong labor market and advocates pushing for minimum wage increases.
Pandemic-era benefits also helped these workers be more choosy about finding better-paying jobs as the country emerged from record unemployment in 2020, Axios' Emily Peckreported.
The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, which is also the minimum wage in North Carolina. Other states, like California, have raised their minimum wage.
