Table 1
Characteristics of workers, RTW states versus non-RTW states (2010–2012)
| Non-right-to-work state | Right-to-work state | |
|---|---|---|
| Demographics | ||
| Age | 39.9 | 39.5 |
| Sex (male) | 51.0% | 51.8% |
| Race/ethnicity | ||
| White | 70.3% | 62.6% |
| Black | 7.1% | 14.0% |
| Hispanic | 14.8% | 18.2% |
| Asian | 6.1% | 3.3% |
| Other | 1.7% | 2.0% |
| Education | ||
| Less than high school | 7.9% | 9.8% |
| High school | 26.0% | 27.7% |
| Some college | 19.4% | 20.4% |
| Associate degree | 10.6% | 10.7% |
| College degree | 23.2% | 21.1% |
| Advanced | 12.9% | 10.3% |
| Marital status | ||
| Never married | 31.1% | 28.2% |
| Married | 55.5% | 56.1% |
| Divorced/widowed | 11.1% | 12.9% |
| Separated | 2.3% | 2.7% |
| Metropolitan area | 86.7% | 82.3% |
| Worker characteristics | ||
| Hourly worker | 57.7% | 55.9% |
| Full-time | 79.4% | 83.0% |
| Union/union contract | 17.5% | 7.3% |
| Average hourly wage (2014 dollars) | $23.93 | $20.66 |
| Median hourly wage (2014 dollars) | $18.40 | $15.79 |
| State characteristics | ||
| Unemployment rate | 9.1% | 8.4% |
| Cost of living (PERI) | 1.03 | 0.95 |
| Cost of living (MERIC) | 112.09 | 94.74 |
| Cost of living (BEA RPP) | 103.09 | 94.64 |
| Number of observations | 189,412 | 114,745 |
Source: EPI analysis of Current Population Survey Outoing Rotation Group microdata (various years)
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