Wednesday, September 24, 2014

We're Number One!

America in fact leads the developed world in something, and it's jobs!

Percentage of low-paying jobs, that is.

In a new research note on inequality, Morgan Stanley economist Ellen Zentner included this fascinating chart showing that, among OECD countries, the United States has the highest proportion of low-paying jobs
The 2014 version of the OECD Employment Outlook report cited by Morgan Stanley defines low-paying jobs as those for which earnings are below 2/3 of a country's median income. According to the OECD analysis and the Morgan Stanley report, just over a quarter of jobs in the US fell in this low-paying category
In 2013, the median annual income in the US was $35,080, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment Statistics program. Under the OECD's definition, then, a low-paying job would earn less than about $23,390.

A quarter of US jobs pay less than $12 an hour, but why would we want to raise the minimum wage, Republicans say.  Why, we'll just drive out those low-paying jobs.  Who needs to support a family on $12 an hour anyway?  That's what second and third jobs are for, after all.

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