Minimum wage workers are only a few percent of the American labor force, and about half of them are under 25. Only about 20% were between 35 and 55.

https://www.bls.gov/opub/reports/minimum-wage/2018/pdf/home....

I'd say 20% is not a small number! I'd also point out that "just above minimum wage" isn't much better than minimum wage. For example, if you work for many large chains that pay minimum wage you're likely to get a raise at some point. That raise may take you from, say, $10.00/hr to $10.50/hr. Hurrah!

I think a better metric might be (minimum wage + (20% * minimum wage)). That snags all those people who work at "minimum wage jobs" but have stuck around for a few years and gotten a few small pay increases, but are still being paid a wage that is a function of minimum wage.

Just riffing here to be honest, but I do get a little uppity when people claim minimum wage jobs are just for teenagers or other "less important" wage earners. Part of this was from working in retail and food service when I was much younger and knowing a lot of adults, many single parents, working for close to minimum wage. Anecdotal, I know.

Well what percentage of these are non-breadwinners? Could it be stay at home parents who are making supplementary income?

> I think a better metric might be (minimum wage + (20% * minimum wage)). That snags all those people who work at "minimum wage jobs" but have stuck around for a few years and gotten a few small pay increases, but are still being paid a wage that is a function of minimum wage.

Yes, there needs to be better information.

> Just riffing here to be honest, but I do get a little uppity when people claim minimum wage jobs are just for teenagers or other "less important" wage earners. Part of this was from working in retail and food service when I was much younger and knowing a lot of adults, many single parents, working for close to minimum wage. Anecdotal, I know.

This is terrible, and just goes to show my point -- we need to be tracking the important number: how many people who need to afford rent for a separate unit (usually those with dependents but not always) cannot afford to do so.

EDIT: Here are some stats on low-wage workers by age. It does show a good distribution, but I think we need to make the tails thinner: https://www.statista.com/statistics/298866/percentage-of-low...

The more interesting data is low-wage workers. Making 10c over the minimum wage would pull you out of that report.

No, because this is the policy outcome government should seek, not a uniform raising of the minimum wage.

> Or do you have thoughts on specific policies that will make this true

No I don't... but I'm curious in solutions to this problem, rather than 'solutions' to minimum wage jobs.

> Because currently, many people who need to support a household rely on minimum wage jobs (or close to it), and often without guaranteed full time hours and no health insurance.

Yes... i know. We need to formulate policies that make this not true, so that the group I said should make up the majority of min wage workers actually comprises the majority.