Low-wage lessons
"Over the last two decades, high – and, in some countries, rising – rates of low-wage work have emerged as a major political concern. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), in 2009, about one-fourth of U.S. workers were in low-wage jobs, defined as earnin...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Institution: | ETUI-European Trade Union Institute |
| Format: | TEXT |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Washington, DC
2012
CEPR |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.labourline.org/KENTIKA-19134311124919525939-Low-wage-lessons.htm |
| _version_ | 1771659899012382723 |
|---|---|
| author | Schmitt, John |
| author_facet | Schmitt, John |
| collection | Library items |
| description | "Over the last two decades, high – and, in some countries, rising – rates of low-wage work have emerged as a major political concern. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), in 2009, about one-fourth of U.S. workers were in low-wage jobs, defined as earning less than two-thirds of the national median hourly wage (see first figure below). About one-fifth of workers in the United Kingdom, Canada, Ireland, and Germany were receiving low wages by the same definition. In all but a handful of the rich OECD countries, more than 10 percent of the workforce was in a low-wage job.
If low-wage jobs act as a stepping stone to higher-paying work, then even a relatively high share of low-wage work may not be a serious social problem. If, however, as appears to be the case in much of the wealthy world, low-wage work is a persistent and recurring state for many workers, then low-wages may contribute to broader income and wealth inequality and constitute a threat to social cohesion. This report draws five lessons on low-wage work from the recent experiences of the United States and other rich economies in the OECD." |
| format | TEXT |
| geographic | OECD countries USA |
| id | 19134311124919525939_7a0abaa81d90403ea4f575373be32075 |
| institution | ETUI-European Trade Union Institute |
| is_hierarchy_id | 19134311124919525939_7a0abaa81d90403ea4f575373be32075 |
| is_hierarchy_title | Low-wage lessons |
| language | English |
| physical | 13 p. Digital |
| publishDate | 2012 |
| publisher | Washington, DC CEPR |
| spellingShingle | Schmitt, John labour market low wages statistics Low-wage lessons |
| thumbnail | https://www.labourline.org/Image_prev.jpg?Archive=112953593013 |
| title | Low-wage lessons |
| topic | labour market low wages statistics |
| url | https://www.labourline.org/KENTIKA-19134311124919525939-Low-wage-lessons.htm |