Day 6: What Is Living Wage?

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A living wage is defined as a minimum income necessary for an individual to meet their basic needs such as food, housing, and clothing. Spokane’s cost of living is 4% lower than the national average. The cost of living in any area varies based on factors, such average salaries and available job market, and the area’s real estate market.

Many companies and organizations have relied on MIT’s Living Wage calculator to determine how much employees should be paid. Jobs in the retail, healthcare, and service industries have been historically undervalued and underpaid. The pandemic heavily underlined the importance of these workers and their struggle to make ends meet. Half of Americans in lower wage occupations are considered essential workers, with Black and brown workers making up the majority of this workforce. As of April 2021, about 6 in 10 U.S. adults, or 62%, say they agree with raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, including 40% who strongly support the idea.

Use these resources to find out what the living wage would need to be in your community to provide a decent standard of living.

If you have…

reflect

Take a moment to reflect today’s challenge and any insights you experienced.

• How did this challenge make you feel?
• What did you learn?
• What did you notice about yourself after taking the challenge?
• Consider sharing this new awareness with a friend or group to help deepen your understanding of the information.
• Continue the conversation online and connect with others by joining our Racial & Social Justice Facebook group.

Let us know why this challenge is important to you by leaving your comment here. 

Thank you for joining us in our Stand Against Racism Challenge. Our work continues every weekday from May 2 – May 30. Each day you’ll be offered some content to help you take a deeper dive into the daily topic.

We ask that you undertake this challenge with an open mind and willingness to explore new ideas and allow yourself to sit with any emotions that may come up for you.

This content may be hard to process so consider having a self-care plan in place beforehand. This can include meditation before or after engaging, watching your favorite show, or doing something creative.

We look forward to going on this journey towards true equity and justice with you! Just joining the SAR Challenge? Register and find the previous days here.

Share each challenge online with #SARChallenge

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