Summary statistics on minimum wage violations in North Carolina
| Category | Minimum-wage-eligible workers | Eligible workers experiencing minimum wage violations | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total number | Share of total | Number | Share of total group | Group’s share of category | Average hourly underpayment | Average weekly underpayment | Average annual underpayment if full-year | Total earned annual wages not paid to workers | Average weekly wages received | Average annual wages received if full-year | Total annual wages received by workers experiencing minimum wage violations | Share of earned wages not paid | |
| All workers | 3,111,000 | 100.0% | 83,780 | 2.7% | 100.0% | $2.14 | $72 | $3,800 | $316,000,000 | $179 | $9,300 | $779,000,000 | 28.8% |
| Low-wage earners | 681,000 | 21.9% | 83,780 | 12.3% | 100.0% | $2.14 | $72 | $3,800 | $316,000,000 | $179 | $9,300 | $779,000,000 | 28.8% |
| Gender | |||||||||||||
| Men | 1,624,000 | 52.2% | 36,610 | 2.3% | 43.7% | $1.76 | $68 | $3,500 | $130,000,000 | $208 | $10,800 | $395,000,000 | 24.7% |
| Women | 1,487,000 | 47.8% | 47,170 | 3.2% | 56.3% | $2.44 | $76 | $3,900 | $186,000,000 | $156 | $8,100 | $383,000,000 | 32.7% |
| Age | |||||||||||||
| Under 20 | 116,000 | 3.7% | 8,710 | 7.5% | 10.4% | $1.59 | $36 | $1,800 | $16,000,000 | $119 | $6,200 | $54,000,000 | 23.0% |
| 20 and over | 2,994,000 | 96.3% | 75,070 | 2.5% | 89.6% | $2.20 | $77 | $4,000 | $300,000,000 | $186 | $9,700 | $725,000,000 | 29.2% |
| 16–24 | 467,000 | 15.0% | 26,890 | 5.8% | 32.1% | $2.36 | $75 | $3,900 | $105,000,000 | $139 | $7,200 | $195,000,000 | 35.0% |
| 25–54 | 2,048,000 | 65.8% | 42,980 | 2.1% | 51.3% | $2.12 | $75 | $3,900 | $168,000,000 | $203 | $10,500 | $453,000,000 | 27.1% |
| 55–85 | 595,000 | 19.1% | 13,910 | 2.3% | 16.6% | $1.76 | $59 | $3,100 | $43,000,000 | $181 | $9,400 | $131,000,000 | 24.5% |
| Race/ethnicity | |||||||||||||
| White | 1,929,000 | 62.0% | 48,020 | 2.5% | 57.3% | $2.13 | $65 | $3,400 | $162,000,000 | $168 | $8,700 | $420,000,000 | 27.9% |
| Black | 655,000 | 21.1% | 16,620 | 2.5% | 19.8% | $2.24 | $83 | $4,300 | $72,000,000 | $162 | $8,400 | $140,000,000 | 33.9% |
| Hispanic | 353,000 | 11.4% | 14,010 | 4.0% | 16.7% | $1.79 | $72 | $3,800 | $53,000,000 | $236 | $12,300 | $172,000,000 | 23.5% |
| Other | 173,000 | 5.6% | 5,120 | 3.0% | 6.1% | $2.86 | $109 | $5,700 | $29,000,000 | $176 | $9,100 | $47,000,000 | 38.2% |
| Marital & family status | |||||||||||||
| Married parent | 783,000 | 25.2% | 14,750 | 1.9% | 17.6% | $2.09 | $76 | $3,900 | $58,000,000 | $205 | $10,700 | $158,000,000 | 27.0% |
| Single parent | 280,000 | 9.0% | 8,830 | 3.2% | 10.5% | $2.35 | $80 | $4,100 | $37,000,000 | $179 | $9,300 | $82,000,000 | 30.9% |
| Married, no kids | 875,000 | 28.1% | 15,950 | 1.8% | 19.0% | $1.68 | $57 | $3,000 | $47,000,000 | $198 | $10,300 | $164,000,000 | 22.4% |
| Unmarried, no kids | 1,173,000 | 37.7% | 44,240 | 3.8% | 52.8% | $2.28 | $75 | $3,900 | $174,000,000 | $163 | $8,500 | $375,000,000 | 31.6% |
| Family income | |||||||||||||
| Less than $10,000 | 153,000 | 4.9% | 7,210 | 4.7% | 8.6% | $2.34 | $90 | $4,700 | $34,000,000 | $186 | $9,700 | $70,000,000 | 32.5% |
| $10,000–$24,999 | 508,000 | 16.3% | 18,350 | 3.6% | 21.9% | $2.39 | $80 | $4,100 | $76,000,000 | $167 | $8,700 | $160,000,000 | 32.3% |
| $25,000–$39,999 | 578,000 | 18.6% | 17,920 | 3.1% | 21.4% | $1.96 | $68 | $3,500 | $64,000,000 | $196 | $10,200 | $182,000,000 | 25.8% |
| $40,000–$59,999 | 609,000 | 19.6% | 9,810 | 1.6% | 11.7% | $2.65 | $75 | $3,900 | $38,000,000 | $133 | $6,900 | $68,000,000 | 36.0% |
| $60,000–$99,999 | 796,000 | 25.6% | 21,090 | 2.6% | 25.2% | $1.93 | $68 | $3,600 | $75,000,000 | $189 | $9,800 | $207,000,000 | 26.5% |
| $100,000–$149,999 | 323,000 | 10.4% | 6,990 | 2.2% | 8.3% | $1.84 | $59 | $3,100 | $21,000,000 | $192 | $10,000 | $70,000,000 | 23.5% |
| $150,000 or more | 144,000 | 4.6% | 2,400 | 1.7% | 2.9% | $1.60 | $63 | $3,300 | $8,000,000 | $178 | $9,300 | $22,000,000 | 26.1% |
| Industry | |||||||||||||
| Construction | 215,000 | 6.9% | 5,030 | 2.3% | 6.0% | $1.74 | $64 | $3,300 | $17,000,000 | $234 | $12,100 | $61,000,000 | 21.6% |
| Manufacturing | 444,000 | 14.3% | 4,100 | 0.9% | 4.9% | $1.90 | $84 | $4,400 | $18,000,000 | $243 | $12,600 | $52,000,000 | 25.8% |
| Retail | 437,000 | 14.1% | 11,630 | 2.7% | 13.9% | $1.28 | $43 | $2,200 | $26,000,000 | $188 | $9,800 | $114,000,000 | 18.4% |
| Agriculture, forestry, and fishing | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Wholesale | 79,000 | 2.5% | 360 | 0.5% | 0.4% | $3.76 | $150 | $7,800 | $3,000,000 | $148 | $7,700 | $3,000,000 | 50.3% |
| Transportation and utilities | 162,000 | 5.2% | 4,290 | 2.6% | 5.1% | $1.93 | $114 | $5,900 | $25,000,000 | $313 | $16,300 | $70,000,000 | 26.6% |
| Information | 50,000 | 1.6% | 900 | 1.8% | 1.1% | $3.69 | $136 | $7,100 | $6,000,000 | $91 | $4,700 | $4,000,000 | 59.9% |
| Financial activities | 146,000 | 4.7% | 3,330 | 2.3% | 4.0% | $1.67 | $70 | $3,600 | $12,000,000 | $205 | $10,600 | $35,000,000 | 25.5% |
| Professional and business | 265,000 | 8.5% | 4,220 | 1.6% | 5.0% | $2.05 | $58 | $3,000 | $13,000,000 | $159 | $8,300 | $35,000,000 | 26.6% |
| Education and health | 691,000 | 22.2% | 9,430 | 1.4% | 11.3% | $1.42 | $42 | $2,200 | $20,000,000 | $199 | $10,300 | $97,000,000 | 17.4% |
| Food or drink service | 238,000 | 7.6% | 25,960 | 10.9% | 31.0% | $3.04 | $96 | $5,000 | $129,000,000 | $126 | $6,600 | $170,000,000 | 43.2% |
| Other leisure and hospitality | 82,000 | 2.6% | 4,280 | 5.2% | 5.1% | $1.81 | $57 | $3,000 | $13,000,000 | $182 | $9,500 | $40,000,000 | 23.9% |
| Other industries | 286,000 | 9.2% | 10,240 | 3.6% | 12.2% | $2.00 | $63 | $3,300 | $33,000,000 | $181 | $9,400 | $97,000,000 | 25.6% |
| Occupation | |||||||||||||
| Management | 232,000 | 7.5% | 5,760 | 2.5% | 6.9% | $2.23 | $100 | $5,200 | $30,000,000 | $217 | $11,300 | $65,000,000 | 31.6% |
| Professional | 683,000 | 22.0% | 9,630 | 1.4% | 11.5% | $1.86 | $55 | $2,900 | $28,000,000 | $185 | $9,600 | $92,000,000 | 23.0% |
| Service | 552,000 | 17.8% | 39,130 | 7.1% | 46.7% | $2.62 | $82 | $4,200 | $166,000,000 | $148 | $7,700 | $300,000,000 | 35.6% |
| Sales | 397,000 | 12.8% | 9,780 | 2.5% | 11.7% | $1.44 | $55 | $2,800 | $28,000,000 | $180 | $9,400 | $92,000,000 | 23.3% |
| Office and administrative support | 358,000 | 11.5% | 6,310 | 1.8% | 7.5% | $1.44 | $53 | $2,800 | $18,000,000 | $188 | $9,800 | $62,000,000 | 22.1% |
| Farming, forestry, and fishing | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Construction and extraction | 185,000 | 6.0% | 5,050 | 2.7% | 6.0% | $2.14 | $85 | $4,400 | $22,000,000 | $220 | $11,400 | $58,000,000 | 27.8% |
| Installation, maintenance, and repairs | 149,000 | 4.8% | 330 | 0.2% | 0.4% | $0.05 | $2 | $100 | $0 | $292 | $15,200 | $5,000,000 | 0.7% |
| Production | 291,000 | 9.3% | 1,200 | 0.4% | 1.4% | $3.83 | $126 | $6,500 | $8,000,000 | $180 | $9,400 | $11,000,000 | 41.1% |
| Transportation | 256,000 | 8.2% | 6,030 | 2.4% | 7.2% | $0.96 | $49 | $2,500 | $15,000,000 | $292 | $15,200 | $92,000,000 | 14.3% |
| Worker status | |||||||||||||
| Part time (<20 hours) | 176,000 | 5.7% | 11,210 | 6.4% | 13.4% | $1.23 | $17 | $900 | $10,000,000 | $87 | $4,500 | $51,000,000 | 16.0% |
| Mid time (20–34 hours) | 483,000 | 15.5% | 28,170 | 5.8% | 33.6% | $2.72 | $72 | $3,700 | $105,000,000 | $122 | $6,400 | $179,000,000 | 36.9% |
| Full time (35+ hours) | 2,452,000 | 78.8% | 44,400 | 1.8% | 53.0% | $2.00 | $87 | $4,500 | $201,000,000 | $238 | $12,400 | $549,000,000 | 26.8% |
| Education | |||||||||||||
| Less than high school | 366,000 | 11.8% | 18,520 | 5.1% | 22.1% | $1.69 | $55 | $2,800 | $53,000,000 | $174 | $9,000 | $168,000,000 | 23.9% |
| High school | 942,000 | 30.3% | 24,680 | 2.6% | 29.5% | $2.05 | $71 | $3,700 | $91,000,000 | $183 | $9,500 | $235,000,000 | 28.0% |
| Some college | 980,000 | 31.5% | 26,350 | 2.7% | 31.5% | $2.58 | $85 | $4,400 | $117,000,000 | $167 | $8,700 | $228,000,000 | 33.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree or higher | 823,000 | 26.4% | 14,230 | 1.7% | 17.0% | $2.08 | $74 | $3,800 | $55,000,000 | $200 | $10,400 | $148,000,000 | 27.0% |
| Nativity & citizenship | |||||||||||||
| U.S.-born | 2,703,000 | 86.9% | 70,100 | 2.6% | 83.7% | $2.22 | $73 | $3,800 | $265,000,000 | $170 | $8,900 | $621,000,000 | 29.9% |
| Foreign born | 407,000 | 13.1% | 13,670 | 3.4% | 16.3% | $1.73 | $71 | $3,700 | $50,000,000 | $221 | $11,500 | $157,000,000 | 24.2% |
| U.S.-born citizen | 2,727,000 | 87.7% | 71,380 | 2.6% | 85.2% | $2.21 | $73 | $3,800 | $271,000,000 | $172 | $8,900 | $637,000,000 | 29.9% |
| Naturalized U.S. citizen | 99,000 | 3.2% | 1,300 | 1.3% | 1.6% | $2.36 | $73 | $3,800 | $5,000,000 | $181 | $9,400 | $12,000,000 | 28.6% |
| Not a U.S. citizen | 284,000 | 9.1% | 11,100 | 3.9% | 13.2% | $1.66 | $69 | $3,600 | $40,000,000 | $225 | $11,700 | $130,000,000 | 23.4% |
Note: Full-year annual wages are calculated by multiplying weekly wages by 52 weeks per year. Data are not shown where sample sizes are too small to provide reliable estimates. Numbers may not add due to rounding. Shares are computed based on unrounded numbers. “Low-wage earners” includes all minimum-wage-eligible workers in the bottom quintile of wage earners in the state.
Source: EPI analysis of Current Population Survey Outgoing Rotation Group data, 2013–2015