First Focus

 
The current federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. A full-time minimum wage worker earns about $15,000 annually, which is well below the poverty line of a three-person family (which is $18,498 for a family of 1 adult and 2 children). A low minimum wage affects more than just workers, it also affects children. Millions of children across the United States have a parent currently earning the minimum wage or below.

Almost 1-in-4 children in the United States currently live in poverty. Raising the federal minimum wage would reduce the amount of children living in poverty, while also investing in our nation’s future. Raise the Wage, Invest in Kids examines the various ways in which an increased minimum wage would impact children and their families.

The series ran from August 19th through August 23rd.

Our Bloggers

• Kevin Curran, First Focus
• Heidi Shierholz, Labor Market Economist, Economic Policy Institute
• Lisa Dodson, Research Professor, Sociology Department, Boston College, and Randy Albelda, Professor of Economics and Research Associate, Center for Social Policy, University of Massachusetts Boston
• Mary Kay Henry, International President, Service Employees International Union

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