This chart just blew me away. It represents how many hours a minimum wage employee needs to work in order to afford a two-bedroom apartment. Nowhere in the United States can it be done in 40-hours.
Most employees spend half of their working hours just paying the rent. That doesn’t leave much left for things like food, electricity, water, etc.
The National Low Income Housing Coalition, which supplied this graphic, has lots of very interesting information on their site. I hope you’ll check it out when you have a chance.
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John @ Universal Remotes says
In today’s economy, a 40 hour work week just can’t cover things. It is not uncommon to hear about someone doing the full time 9-5 and having a part time at night or on weekends just to have that cushion for peace of mind.
Sharlyn Lauby says
Thanks for the comment John. I wonder if the situation is more “making ends meet” than “having a cushion”.