A majority of low-wage workers earn so little that they must rely on public assistance to make ends meet: Share of workers who receive public assistance directly or through a family member
| Receive public assistance | Don’t receive public assistance | |
|---|---|---|
| All workers | 29.3% | 70.7% |
| Low-wage workers (earning up to $12.16/hr) | 53.1% | 46.9% |
Note: Low-wage workers are defined as the bottom 30% of wage earners, making $12.16 or less.