Lack of paid sick days deprives workers of funds needed for basic necessities: Selected average monthly expenditures and their unpaid sick days equivalent, 2021
Monthly expenditure | Unpaid sick days equivalent | |
---|---|---|
Housing | $1,698 | 13.7 |
Shelter | $981 | 7.9 |
Utilities, fuels, and public services | $359 | 2.9 |
Electricity | $136 | 1.1 |
Telephone services | $114 | 0.9 |
Clothing | $105 | 0.8 |
Food | $628 | 5.1 |
Groceries | $406 | 3.3 |
Fruits and vegetables | $78 | 0.6 |
Health care | $544 | 4.4 |
Health insurance | $374 | 3.0 |
Prescriptions and medications | $59 | 0.5 |
Transportation | $848 | 6.8 |
Gasoline and motor oil | $213 | 1.7 |
Vehicle insurance | $132 | 1.1 |
Notes: The first column is a selected list of household expenditures for a two-adult household. The second column displays the average monthly household expenditures on this selected set of goods for a household earning between $50,000 and $69,999 per year, the range in which a household with two adults working full time at $15.50 per hour would fall ($15.50 per hour x 2 adults x 2,080 hours = $62,400). The third column illustrates the number of unpaid sick days that could put each expenditure at risk.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey (BLS 2023c); Department of Health and Human Services Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (DHHS AHRQ 2023).