Survey: Workers Paid Less Than Minimum Wage
A study surveyed more than 4,000 workers in Chicago, Los Angeles and New York. Among the findings: one of four workers was paid less than the legal minimum wage, which is $7.25 an hour. Sixty percent of workers were underpaid by more than $1 an hour. The violations are most common in garment manufacturing and private household work, but they're also widespread in the restaurant and retail industry.
Copyright © 2009 NPR. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of Use. For other uses, prior permission required.
ARI SHAPIRO, host:
NPR business news starts with low-wage workers losing pay.
(Soundbite of music)
SHAPIRO: A new study out today shows employers are routinely violating labor laws at the bottom rung of the economy. The report surveyed more than 4,000 workers in Chicago, Los Angeles and New York. Among the findings: One in four workers was paid less than minimum wage. Sixty percent of workers in the study were underpaid by more than a dollar an hour. That's a significant percentage of a minimum wage salary.
The violations are most common in garment manufacturing and private household work, but they're also widespread in the restaurant and retail industry. The study's authors say lost pay hurts communities, too, because workers have less to spend and they pay less in taxes.
Copyright © 2009 NPR. All rights reserved. No quotes from the materials contained herein may be used in any media without attribution to NPR. This transcript is provided for personal, noncommercial use only, pursuant to our Terms of Use. Any other use requires NPR's prior permission. Visit our permissions page for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by a contractor for NPR, and accuracy and availability may vary. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Please be aware that the authoritative record of NPR's programming is the audio.
More From Business
Comments
You must be signed in to leave a comment. Sign In / Register
Please keep your community civil. All comments must follow the NPR.org Community rules and terms of use, and will be moderated prior to posting. NPR reserves the right to use the comments we receive, in whole or in part, and to use the commenter's name and location, in any medium. See also the Terms of Use, Privacy Policy and Community FAQ.
