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North Carolina working people and families need a raise.
Too many working people in North Carolina don’t get paid enough to afford the basics. At a time when productivity and profits are at an all time high, wages are at an all time low:
● Nearly 1 in 3 workers in NC earn a wage below the federal poverty line - the second worst in the nation.
● Nearly half of all workers in our state - 47.5% - make less than $15 per hour.
● The soaring cost of living means it would take $21.95 per hour to get by on a frugal budget without public assistance for a family of three in North Carolina.
● More than half of the jobs created since the late 2000s pay poverty wages
Low wages hurt everyone and hurt our economy.
Everyone needs a good paycheck and opportunities to prosper. We need more jobs that pay enough to afford the basics—put food on the table, gas in the car, a roof over our heads, childcare for our kids, and enough to save for retirement.
Bigger paychecks also mean higher sales and bigger profits for local businesses—creating a virtuous cycle that helps businesses hire more people, boost the economy, and provide the tax revenue to invest in our schools, roads, a great quality of life for our community.
That’s why a majority of people want to raise the minimum wage.
Enough is enough! It’s time for all working people and families in our state to live with dignity. Polling shows that the majority of North Carolinians are ready to raise the minimum wage.
Together, we are a broad, diverse group of working people and unions, community organizations, faith leaders, businesses, and policy advocates joined in common cause - we believe that all workers in NC deserve a living wage.
We are part of a rising tide across the country, and we are winning.
We are joining together across the state to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour in 5 years. There is a national movement rising across the country to raise wages to $15 an hour, and from coast to coast, it has scored big wins in places like Maine, Arkansas, Nebraska, New York, California, and Seattle. Now is the time for North Carolina to take bold action to build upon this momentum and raise the minimum wage in our state.
ALL OF OUR RELEASES IN ONE PLACE:
Media Contact
Kayan Cheung-Miaw
kayan@faireconomy.org
Our Office
Durham, NC
United States