Iowa Workers Need $14.69/hr to Make Ends Meet

Minimum wage workers in Iowa are falling further behind according to a report put together from the Alliance for a Just Society. While the state minimum wage is $7.25/hr. an actual living wage - the amount it takes a single worker to make ends meet - is close to $15 per hour.A worker in Iowa needs to work over 80 hours a week at the current minimum wage to cover their own basic needs.CCI Action Fund joined with other groups across the country to release “Pay Up! Long Hours and Low Pay Leave Workers at a Loss,” a national study showing that even the $15 an hour wage that is gaining momentum around the country is a modest proposal, and not enough for workers in most states to make ends meet.“This report puts real numbers to what we all know – our current minimum wage keeps workers trapped in poverty. We’ve been fighting for a $15/hr minimum wage because we know it’s not a crazy proposal – it’s what we need to make ends meet here in Iowa,” said Bridget Fagan, Worker Justice Organizer with CCI Action Fund. “We need our legislators to take action immediately in 2016 and pass a living wage bill. The time for action is now.”CCI Action Fund members are calling on state lawmakers to take up real minimum wage reform when they reconvene in January to raise the minimum wage to a living wage where families can actually make ends meet.A living wage allows workers and families to meet their basic needs without public assistance and set aside a small amount of savings for emergencies such as a car repair, or plan ahead for expenses such as high winter heating bill. The living wage calculation includes food, housing, utilities, transportation, health care, clothing, savings and more.The full “Pay Up!” report can be found here.