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CEO for Living Wage US, Michelle Murray, published an op-ed in Newsweek Tuesday (Oct 8.) in which she called for both 2024 presidential candidates to ensure Americans can earn a living wage.
“Currently, half of all working people in this country don’t make a living wage,” Murray wrote in the op-ed. Being unable to earn a living wage puts a huge amount of stress and pressure on families, making many debate between paying rent, buying groceries, or even skipping prescription medications. “A living wage should be table stakes for any politician trying to appeal to American workers. A living wage is the amount people need to afford the most elementary level of decency for themselves and their families. It’s a floor,” she continued.
“A living wage doesn’t mean owning a home or going on vacation. It isn’t calculated to furnish a luxurious lifestyle. It is a simple assessment of what working families require to cover fundamental needs, including low-cost but nutritious meals from home; rent for a two-bedroom apartment for a family of four; reliable health insurance and typical out-of-pocket medical expenses; child care; transportation; other essential items to participate in society such as a phone, internet access, clothing, and soap; and a small margin for unexpected events, so that something like a car breaking down doesn’t lead to the loss of a job.” — Michelle Murray. (TAKE A POLL: Is It Important For The Government To Prioritize National Security Over Individual Privacy?)
Average Income Doesn’t Cut It
The median household income for 2023 was $80,610, Murray continued, noting that this is nowhere near enough to support a family of four. As a result, a lack of living wage jobs has contributed to the growing homeless crisis. “If there is hope to be found, it’s in the fact that myriad policies are available to tackle the core problem, including solutions that appeal to Americans on both sides of the political divide,” she stated. (TAKE A POLL: Do You Believe the Current Tax System is Fair?)
Murray suggested concepts such as providing universal pre-K education, as well as general increases to minimum wage, could help ease this crisis. “Both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have talked a lot about the need to lower the cost of living. That’s undoubtedly critical with so many struggling to get by. But we need candidates who are also willing to address the other side of the problem and take up the mantle of a living wage. Americans deserve, and should demand, nothing less,” Murray argued.
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