Characteristics of U.S. workers who would be affected by increasing the federal minimum wage to $12 per hour by July 2020, black only
| Category | Estimated workforce | Total affected | Percentage of the total affected | Share of this category that is affected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 15,543,000 | 5,401,000 | 100.0% | 34.7% |
| Sex | ||||
| Female | 8,471,000 | 3,114,000 | 57.7% | 36.8% |
| Male | 7,072,000 | 2,287,000 | 42.3% | 32.3% |
| Age | ||||
| Under 20 | 442,000 | 366,000 | 6.8% | 82.8% |
| 20 or older | 15,101,000 | 5,035,000 | 93.2% | 33.3% |
| Less than 25 | 2,192,000 | 1,565,000 | 29.0% | 71.4% |
| 25 to 39 | 5,413,000 | 1,926,000 | 35.7% | 35.6% |
| 40 to 54 | 5,214,000 | 1,226,000 | 22.7% | 23.5% |
| 55+ | 2,724,000 | 684,000 | 12.7% | 25.1% |
| Family status | ||||
| Married parent | 2,863,000 | 635,000 | 11.8% | 22.2% |
| Single parent | 2,301,000 | 1,000,000 | 18.5% | 43.5% |
| Married, no kids | 2,900,000 | 689,000 | 12.8% | 23.8% |
| Unmarried, no kids | 7,479,000 | 3,076,000 | 57.0% | 41.1% |
| Working moms | 3,148,000 | 1,170,000 | 21.7% | 37.2% |
| Single moms | 1,911,000 | 852,000 | 15.8% | 44.6% |
| Working dads | 2,016,000 | 466,000 | 8.6% | 23.1% |
| Single dads | 390,000 | 149,000 | 2.8% | 38.2% |
| Family annual income level | ||||
| Less than $20,000 | 2,710,000 | 1,669,000 | 30.9% | 61.6% |
| $20,000–$39,999 | 4,162,000 | 1,702,000 | 31.5% | 40.9% |
| $40,000–$59,999 | 2,861,000 | 822,000 | 15.2% | 28.7% |
| $60,000–$74,999 | 1,742,000 | 452,000 | 8.4% | 25.9% |
| $75,000–$99,999 | 1,575,000 | 306,000 | 5.7% | 19.4% |
| $100,000–$149,999 | 1,561,000 | 313,000 | 5.8% | 20.1% |
| $150,000 or more | 932,000 | 136,000 | 2.5% | 14.6% |
| Work hours | ||||
| Part time (< 19 hours per week) | 670,000 | 476,000 | 8.8% | 71.0% |
| Mid time (20–34 hours per week) | 2,322,000 | 1,566,000 | 29.0% | 67.4% |
| Full time (35+ hours per week) | 12,551,000 | 3,359,000 | 62.2% | 26.8% |
| Education level | ||||
| Less than high school | 1,146,000 | 735,000 | 13.6% | 64.1% |
| High school | 4,938,000 | 2,144,000 | 39.7% | 43.4% |
| Some college, no degree | 3,784,000 | 1,562,000 | 28.9% | 41.3% |
| Associate degree | 1,683,000 | 515,000 | 9.5% | 30.6% |
| Bachelor’s degree or higher | 3,992,000 | 445,000 | 8.2% | 11.1% |
| Average share of family income earned by affected worker | Share of affected workers who are sole providers of their family’s income | |||
| All affected | 64.4% | 33.7% | ||
| Parents affected | 71.9% | 42.5% | ||
Source: EPI analysis of Raise the Wage Act using Current Population Survey Outgoing Rotation Group microdata, 2014