Low pay | Pay | UNISON National (2024)

FAQs

What is a low wage worker? ›

Definition of “Low-Wage Occupation.” We define low-wage occupations as occupations with a median hourly wage no greater than $17.50 per hour. Linking this definition to the one laid out above, most—but not necessarily the vast majority—of the workers in each low-wage occupation are low-wage workers.

These guidelines are adjusted each year for inflation. In 2023, the federal poverty level definition of low income for a single-person household is $14,580 annually. Each additional person in the household adds $5,140 to the total. For example, the poverty guideline is $30,000 per year for a family of four.

Households are in low income if they live on less than 60% of the median income. According to the Income Dynamics data, median income (before housing costs) was £30,316 per annum for a couple with no children in the period from January 2020 to December 2021.

What was middle-class income in the UK in 2022? According to tastingbritain.co.uk, the middle-class salary in the UK for 2022 was £26,800 per annum. Of course, the figures swing wildly depending on geographic region. While £35,000 was considered the minimum in the North, £60,000 was the minimum for London.

To help us identify these workers and businesses, we use two definitions: low-paying occupations relate to job roles that are often low-paid – for example, 'sales assistants'; low-paying industries are based on the main activity of the employer – for example, 'retail trade'.

Therefore, for this study, the definition of a low wage worker is someone who earns an hourly wage of less than $15.81. We note that based on the California Poverty Measure, 22% of households in Santa Cruz County fall below the poverty line.

Lower class: This is defined as the bottom 20% of earners. Those in the lower class have an income at or below $28,007. Lower middle class: This is defined as individuals in the 20th to 40th percentile of household income. Earnings among this group are between $28,008 and $55,000.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services uses the Census Bureau threshold to determine who is eligible for certain government assistance programs, like SNAP (food stamps). Under their guidelines, a family of four is considered impoverished if they earn $30,000 or less per year.

The low-income category includes both the poor and the near poor.

Pew Research considers middle class to be $56,000 to $156,000 for families of three. Thus, a family of three on $20,000 is not middle-class; it's actually below the poverty level. While an individual on $20,000 a year is not below the poverty line, they are still not considered middle-class.

What is considered middle class? ›

In a large U.S. city, a middle-class income averages between $52,000 and $155,000. The median household income across all 345 cities is $77,345, making middle-class income limits fall between $51,558 and $154,590.

Low income measures (LIMs), are relative measures of low income, set at 50% of adjusted median household income. These measures are categorized according to the number of persons present in the household, reflecting the economies of scale inherent in household size.

A Middle-Class Income Is $50,000 to $150,000

“The definition of middle income ranges from earning two-thirds to double the median household income,” said CFP and The Ways To Wealth founder R.J. Weiss, who cited the Pew Research Center's widely accepted definition of the term.

As of May 18, 2024, the average weekly pay for a Working Class in California is $1,440 a week.

adjective. If you describe someone or their job as low-paid, you mean that their work earns them very little money.

The federal minimum wage provisions are contained in the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour effective July 24, 2009. Many states also have minimum wage laws.

A high-wage job is defined in this analysis as one in an industry or occupation in which the average wage is at least 50 percent higher than the overall average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), part of the U.S. Department of Labor, is the source of the workforce data used in this analysis.