State labor officials announced Wednesday that Oregon's minimum wage would increase from $9.10 to $9.25 starting in 2015. The 15 cent increase is meant to reflect the rising cost of living and is tied to inflation, but it's unlikely that the nearly 150,000 Oregonians earning a minimum wage will see the increase move them out of poverty and into self-sufficiency.
According to recently released census data, 15 percent of Oregonians fall under the federal poverty line. That's making less than $23,000 per year for a family of four. But for families that make just above that, things don't get much easier. In fact, many families start to lose their food or housing assistance once they cross over that line. While only 15 percent of Oregonians fall into the "poverty" category, The Working Poor Families Project over a third of Oregon families aren't making a livable wage.
We'll hear from OPB reporter Amanda Peacher, who's been covering the working poor in depth with the multi-media series " Living on the Line." We'll also talk with Oregonians Deb Goosev and Gabriela Hernandez who work — often more than one job — but struggle to make ends meet.
Sources for this segment came to us through OPB's Public Insight Network. Help inform future news coverage, and become a source.
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