Characteristics of U.S. workers who would be affected by increasing the federal minimum wage to $12 per hour by July 2020, Asian or other race only
| Category | Estimated workforce | Total affected | Percentage of the total affected | Share of this category that is affected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 10,700,000 | 2,486,000 | 100.0% | 23.2% |
| Sex | ||||
| Female | 5,162,000 | 1,341,000 | 53.9% | 26.0% |
| Male | 5,538,000 | 1,145,000 | 46.1% | 20.7% |
| Age | ||||
| Under 20 | 329,000 | 269,000 | 10.8% | 81.8% |
| 20 or older | 10,371,000 | 2,217,000 | 89.2% | 21.4% |
| Less than 25 | 1,366,000 | 836,000 | 33.6% | 61.2% |
| 25 to 39 | 4,146,000 | 724,000 | 29.1% | 17.5% |
| 40 to 54 | 3,434,000 | 530,000 | 21.3% | 15.4% |
| 55+ | 1,753,000 | 396,000 | 15.9% | 22.6% |
| Family status | ||||
| Married parent | 3,467,000 | 456,000 | 18.3% | 13.2% |
| Single parent | 592,000 | 187,000 | 7.5% | 31.6% |
| Married, no kids | 2,759,000 | 532,000 | 21.4% | 19.3% |
| Unmarried, no kids | 3,882,000 | 1,311,000 | 52.7% | 33.8% |
| Working moms | 1,949,000 | 416,000 | 16.7% | 21.3% |
| Single moms | 430,000 | 146,000 | 5.9% | 34.0% |
| Working dads | 2,110,000 | 227,000 | 9.1% | 10.8% |
| Single dads | 162,000 | 42,000 | 1.7% | 25.9% |
| Family annual income level | ||||
| Less than $20,000 | 935,000 | 462,000 | 18.6% | 49.4% |
| $20,000–$39,999 | 1,976,000 | 718,000 | 28.9% | 36.3% |
| $40,000–$59,999 | 1,634,000 | 429,000 | 17.3% | 26.3% |
| $60,000–$74,999 | 1,237,000 | 275,000 | 11.1% | 22.2% |
| $75,000–$99,999 | 1,495,000 | 273,000 | 11.0% | 18.3% |
| $100,000–$149,999 | 1,711,000 | 187,000 | 7.5% | 10.9% |
| $150,000 or more | 1,713,000 | 142,000 | 5.7% | 8.3% |
| Work hours | ||||
| Part time (< 19 hours per week) | 543,000 | 337,000 | 13.6% | 62.1% |
| Mid time (20–34 hours per week) | 1,432,000 | 754,000 | 30.3% | 52.7% |
| Full time (35+ hours per week) | 8,725,000 | 1,395,000 | 56.1% | 16.0% |
| Education level | ||||
| Less than high school | 715,000 | 405,000 | 16.3% | 56.6% |
| High school | 2,151,000 | 799,000 | 32.1% | 37.1% |
| Some college, no degree | 1,660,000 | 644,000 | 25.9% | 38.8% |
| Associate degree | 854,000 | 187,000 | 7.5% | 21.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree or higher | 5,321,000 | 450,000 | 18.1% | 8.5% |
| Average share of family income earned by affected worker | Share of affected workers who are sole providers of their family’s income | |||
| All affected | 52.3% | 19.7% | ||
| Parents affected | 60.1% | 25.4% | ||
Source: EPI analysis of Raise the Wage Act using Current Population Survey Outgoing Rotation Group microdata, 2014