What Do You Know About Poverty in Missouri?
5. A worker earning the minimum wage in Missouri would have a full-time, monthly salary of:
c. Correct!
A full-time minimum-wage earner working 40 hours per week earns $15,080 per year ($7.25/hour x 2080 hours), earning about $1,257 per month in before-tax income.
The 2009 poverty threshold for a family with two members is $1,214 per month. Working for minimum wage will raise a family of two to just above the poverty line.
Sources:
Labor Law Center. Federal Minimum Wage Increase for 2007, 2008, & 2009,
http://www.laborlawcenter.com/federal-minimum-wage.asp.
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Poverty Guidelines, Research, and Measurement,
http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/.
