Living Wage Calculator
In the spirit of our upcoming living wage discussion, I have found a very interesting website that calculates the hourly wage necessary for you to live in a particular area. (http://www.livingwage.geog.psu.edu/) The website will give you output for regional expenses for items such as food, housing, medical care, etc. for just about anywhere in the U.S. If you scroll down, you can find what the living wage for the area would be based on how many people you support. This wage is then compared to what the actual minimum wage is. You can also examine the average hourly wage for various industries and determine if a career in this field would adequately cover the necessary expenses.
For example, for Prof. Prenkert to support a wife and two kids in Bloomington, he would need to make $19.29 an hour. The minimum wage for Bloomington is only $5.15 an hour, however. If he were in the Farming, Fishing, & Forestry industry, the typical hourly wage for Bloomington is $9.95, which would mean that he would be almost $10 short of having the ability to adequately cover his expenses. (Lucky for him, he's a successful Harvard Law grad!)
Take a look at the area where you're from or where you'll be living next year. Do you notice any surprising results? As young adults entering the work force, the cost of living can be quite surprising. However, as well educated individuals with bright futures, we are not often concerned that we will be able to cover these costs. It is important to consider some of the questions Daya posed and the policy arguments for and against the living wage. Although it may not affect us directly, it is policy battle that will continue to be fought on Capital Hill. Who knows, it may be an interesting consideration for you before the next election season.
If you're interested in finding more information, I would suggest visiting ACORN's Living Wage Web Site (http://www.livingwagecampaign.org/).
For example, for Prof. Prenkert to support a wife and two kids in Bloomington, he would need to make $19.29 an hour. The minimum wage for Bloomington is only $5.15 an hour, however. If he were in the Farming, Fishing, & Forestry industry, the typical hourly wage for Bloomington is $9.95, which would mean that he would be almost $10 short of having the ability to adequately cover his expenses. (Lucky for him, he's a successful Harvard Law grad!)
Take a look at the area where you're from or where you'll be living next year. Do you notice any surprising results? As young adults entering the work force, the cost of living can be quite surprising. However, as well educated individuals with bright futures, we are not often concerned that we will be able to cover these costs. It is important to consider some of the questions Daya posed and the policy arguments for and against the living wage. Although it may not affect us directly, it is policy battle that will continue to be fought on Capital Hill. Who knows, it may be an interesting consideration for you before the next election season.
If you're interested in finding more information, I would suggest visiting ACORN's Living Wage Web Site (http://www.livingwagecampaign.org/).
posted by Jennifer Arch at
12:57 PM
1 Comments:
whew! This makes me feel better about what I will be making next year as one adult in Bloomington, ha. :)
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