To the Point
Walmart, the Minimum Wage and the Working Poor
Last week, Walmart stunned the world of retail by announcing that it will give half-million low-wage workers a raise in April to $9 an hour, with the promise of $10 an hour by February of next year. Low pay has created image problems for America's biggest private employer, while reduced unemployment means new competition for workers.
By Warren Olney • • 1 min readLast week, Walmart stunned the world of retail by announcing that it will give half-million low-wage workers a raise in April to $9 an hour, with the promise of $10 an hour by February of next year. Low pay has created image problems for America's biggest private employer, while reduced unemployment means new competition for workers. But even $10 is hardly enough to support a family, and labor advocates are pushing for $15. As some cities and states increase the minimum wage, we hear what life is like at the lowest end of the pay scale.
