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Thursday, May 9, 2013

The Biggest Creator of Low-Wage Jobs? Uncle Sam | News & Notes, What Matters Today | BillMoyers.com

The Biggest Creator of Low-Wage Jobs? Uncle Sam | News & Notes, What Matters Today | BillMoyers.com

Who employs more low-wage workers than Walmart and McDonald’s combined? You do.
A new study from Demos estimates that American taxpayers fund nearly 2 million low-wage jobs that pay workers less than $24,000 a year ($12 an hour or less). These private-sector jobs are generated by federal contracts, grants, loans and other programs (see chart).

Workers making $12-or-less an hour say that they are scraping by. Often on public assistance, they find it difficult to afford basic necessities like rent, food, health care and utilities. Because of sequestration, pressure on government agencies to spend less money may add even more to their ranks.