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3.1 Low-wage workers in the US hit by COVID-19 The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on low-wage workers in the United States. According to a study by the Economic Policy Institute, an estimated 5.1 million low-wage workers in the US have been laid off or furloughed since the start of the pandemic. This represents nearly one-third of the total number of workers affected by the crisis. Additionally, the pandemic has further highlighted the need for a national minimum wage increase. Currently, the federal minimum wage in the US is $7.25 an hour, which is well below the poverty line for many families. The effects of the pandemic have also highlighted the need for additional measures to protect vulnerable workers, such as paid sick leave and hazard pay.
In September, inflation-adjusted wages were 16.7% to 24.8% lower than the current daily minimum wages across the regions in the country. In peso terms, real wages were lower by around P74.04 to P119.85 from the current daily minimum wages set by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board.
California’s new $20 minimum wage law for fast food workers, effective April 1, 2024, raised wages without causing major price increases or job losses, according to a study by the University of California’s Berkeley Institute for Research on Labor and Employment.