January 2014

Zimmern’s thoughts on raising the minimum wage

l3wis January 21, 2014 15Comments

While, we most famously know Andrew from his ‘Bizarre Foods’ gig (and his short stint on my site in the form of toons) he is also a food columnist and radio host. He writes for Mpls St. Paul magazine. His column in the past issue was about raising the minimum wage for hospitality workers in Minnesota. While the article focuses on that state, it also touches on a National trend to pay workers more;

Today, 52 percent of families of fast-food workers are forced to rely on public assistance programs to make ends meet for food, rent, and health care. That’s DOUBLE the percentage of jobs in all other economic sectors. You see, only 13 percent of these food workers get health insurance through work, compared to 59 percent of other working Americans. That costs us almost $7 billion a year. Jobs in corporate fast-food sectors simply don’t offer living wages, even at full time, which is defined as 40 hours per week. About 67 percent of front-line fast-food workers are older than 20; these aren’t high schoolers. Almost 68 percent are primary earners in their families, and more than 25 percent are raising children. Spending on Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program for fast-food workers’ families is almost $4 billion nationally. Hourly wages average $16.57 nationally but are only $8.69 for fast-food workers. I asked five friends today to fill in this blank: 73 percent of fast-food workers are _______. They all guessed ethnicities. The answer is women. Wanna make a difference for women in America? Raise the minimum wage.