Three-quarters of Americans (75%) are living paycheck-to-paycheck to make ends meet, according to a survey from CareerBuilder. Thirty-eight percent of employees said they sometimes live paycheck-to-paycheck, 15% said they usually do and 23% said they always do.
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While making ends meet is a struggle for many post-recession, those with minimum wage jobs continue to be hit the hardest. Of workers who currently have a minimum wage job or have held one in the past, 66% said they couldn’t make ends meet and 50% said they had to work more than one job to make it work.
More than 3,200 full-time workers and more than 2,100 full-time hiring and human resource managers in the private sector across industries participated in the nationwide survey, conducted online by Harris Poll on behalf of CareerBuilder.
It’s not just minimum wage workers who are struggling. Nineteen percent of workers at all salary levels were not able to make ends meet every month during the past year, and while the likelihood of living paycheck-to-paycheck naturally decreases for workers with higher salaries, it’s affecting all salary ranges.
Nine percent of workers making $100,000 or more feel they usually or always live paycheck-to-paycheck. Twenty-three percent of workers making $50,000 to $99,999, and 51% of those making less than $50,000 feel they usually or always do (live paycheck to paycheck) to make ends meet.
Further, 68% of all workers say they’re in debt, and while most (46%) say it’s manageable, it should be noted that 16% of all workers have reduced their 401k contribution and/or personal savings in the last year, more than a third (36%) do not participate in a 401k plan, IRA or comparable retirement plan, and 25% have not set aside any savings each month in the last year.
While the majority of employees (66%) say they feel more fiscally responsible since the recession, many still feel defeated. Of employees in debt, the majority (55%) feel they will always be in debt and site having these debts:
- Credit card: 64%
- Auto loan: 47%
- Mortgage: 45%
- Student loan: 31%
- Loans from friends or family: 10%
- Tax debt: 8%
- Other: 14%
Employers take a stance
This year employers think minimum wage should be raised more than ever before. Only 5% of all employers believe the federal minimum wage ($7.25 per hour) is fair. The majority (67%) feel a fair minimum wage is $10 or more per hour, up from 61% last year; and 15% say a fair minimum wage is $15 or more per hour, up from 11% last year. Sixty-four percent of employers believe minimum wage should be increased in their state, up from 62% in 2014.
“Fair wages and benefits such as paid sick days are a hot political topic right now, and they’re also on employers’ minds as the public and private sector continue to work to provide good jobs, which will lead to a stronger, more stable workforce, leading ultimately to a healthier economy,” said Rosemary Haefner, chief human resources officer for CareerBuilder, in a press release.
Thirty percent of employers plan to hire minimum wage workers this year, up from 26% last year. Although 67% of employers feel a fair minimum wage is $10 or more per hour, of those hiring minimum wage workers this year, almost half (48%) said they’re going to pay less than $10.
Percentage of employers paying more or less than minimum wage:
- Less than $8.00: 11%
- 8.00 to $8.99 per hour: 23%
- $9.00 to $9.99 per hour: 14%
- $10.00 to $10.99 per hour: 21%
- $11.00 to $11.99 per hour: 7%
- $12.00 to $12.99 per hour: 8%
- $13.00 to $13.99 per hour: 6%
- $14.00 to $14.99 per hour: 5%
- $15.00 or more per hour: 6%
When asked why they think the minimum wage in their state should be increased, employers who agreed with the sentiment most often said because it can improve standard of living (72%) followed by because it can have a positive effect on employee retention (59%), and because it can help bolster the economy (53%).
Those who do not think minimum wage should be increased in their state said they believe this because it can potentially cause employers to hire less people (67%), because it can cause issues for small businesses who are struggling to get by (66%), and because it can cause hikes in prices to offset labor costs (65%).