Far fewer workers would be in poverty if their employers paid them the legal minimum wage: Poverty status of all minimum-wage-eligible workers in the 10 most populous states and of those paid less than the minimum wage, actual and if all workers were paid correctly
| At current wage values | If subminimum wages were raised to the applicable minimum wage | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total number of minimum-wage-eligible workers | Number of eligible workers in poverty | Share of workers in poverty | Number of eligible workers in poverty | Share of workers in poverty | Change in number in poverty | Change in share in poverty | |
| All minimum-wage-eligible workers | 59,014,000 | 4,075,000 | 6.9% | 3,916,000 | 6.6% | -159,000 | -0.3 ppt. |
| Eligible workers paid less than the minimum wage | 2,422,000 | 517,000 | 21.4% | 358,000 | 14.8% | -159,000 | -6.6 ppt. |
Note: Numbers may not add due to rounding. Shares are computed based on unrounded numbers.
Source: EPI analysis of Current Population Survey Outgoing Rotation Group and March Supplement data, 2013–2016