How many Louisiana workers make less than $15 per hour?

Scott Lewis

2 years ago

Activists appeal for a $15 minimum wage near the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021. The $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill being prepped in Congress includes a provision that over five years would hike the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

(KLFY) — It’s been stalled in Congress since January of 2021, but a bill to raise the U.S. minimum wage to $15 by 2025 is still floating around. However, the question remains — how many Louisianans would actually benefit from a hike to $15 per hour?

Oxfam America has issued “scorecards” for each state, and based on U.S Census information, 802,558 workers in Louisiana make less than $15 per hour (which is roughly $31,200 annually). Currently, the percentage of workers making under $15 nationwide is around 32%, while in Louisiana it’s around 39%.

The news is worse for women — especially women of color. Around 49% of working women in Louisiana make less than $15 per hour, while for women of color, that percentage is around 64%. By comparison, only 29% of men make under $15, and only 46% of men of color are below that range.

The last time the federal minimum wage was raised was 2009, when it was brought up to $7.25/hour. The Raise the Wage Act of 2021 would not only raise the minimum wage, but it would eliminate subminimum wages, like the ones imposed on restaurant servers, who depend on tips.

Information on wages in Louisiana below $15/hour, as presented by Oxfam, is provided below:

BY GENDER

Working men

Louisiana: 306,993 (28.9%)
U.S. avearge: 21,121,952 (24.7%)

Working women

Louisiana: 495,566 (49.5%)
U.S. avearge: 30,802,707 (39.9%)

BY RACE/ETHNICITY

Whites

Louisiana: 28.4%
U.S. average: 25.9%

Blacks

Louisiana: 58.1%
U.S. average: 47.0%

Hispanic/Latinx

Louisiana: 50.4%
U.S. average: 46.2%

Asian Americans

Louisiana: 33.7%
U.S. average: 19.8%

Women of color

Louisiana: 64.4%
U.S. average: 50.3%

Men of color

Louisiana: 45.8%
U.S. average: 34.1%

BY FAMILY COMPOSITION

Single Parents

Louisiana: 63%
U.S. average: 57.5%

Married Parents

Louisiana: 18.5%
U.S. average: 16%

Working Mothers

Louisiana: 48.2%
U.S. average: 40.2%

Working Fathers

Louisiana: 21.7%
U.S. average: 21.1%

BY AGE

16-24 years old

Louisiana: 81%
U.S. average: 76.5%

25-39 years old

Louisiana: 41.7%
U.S. average: 33.2%

40-54 years old

Louisiana: 26%
U.S. average: 19.5%

55+ years old

Louisiana: 24.6%
U.S. average: 18.6%