It's the LAST DAY to donate and pick up any of our thank-you gifts at a discount. 🔥 Give Now!

The FTC's proposed noncompete ban could be a boon for lower-wage workers

Jan 9, 2023
The Federal Trade Commission's proposed ban on noncompete agreements would affect many workers in sectors like fast food and retail, where these agreements can be a cheap way of retaining employees.
In sectors like fast food, noncompete agreements can function as cheap retention tools, said Andy Challenger of the staffing firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas. 
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

With salaries rising, how much do minimum wage increases matter?

Jan 4, 2023
Private-sector wages are up about 5% over the past year. But gains guaranteed by government can't be lost during an economic downturn.
Workers in low-wage sectors like fast food have gained higher pay in the hot job market.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images

SEIU’s Mary Kay Henry on the Fight for $15’s 10-year anniversary

Nov 28, 2022
“What gives me hope is something that seemed impossible in 2012 is now very possible,” Henry told Marketplace.
Signs sit in a pile during a 2016 protest in Chicago, where demonstrators demanded a $15 minimum hourly wage.
Scott Olson/Getty Images

What's helping drive wage increases for low-wage workers?

May 3, 2022
In some sectors, like leisure and hospitality, workers have been quitting and changing jobs, allowing them move into higher-paid positions.
Wages for jobs like cooks, waiters and hotel clerks rose more than 8% in the first quarter of 2022 from a year earlier, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Lack of paid sick time could be a barrier to vaccination

Apr 19, 2021
Low-wage workers are least likely to get paid time off and often have less predictable, flexible schedules.
Some experts are concerned low-wage workers will be forced to choose between using their limited paid sick leave for another need or using it for the vaccine.
Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images

Biden labor agenda could shift momentum back to unions, low-wage workers

Dec 15, 2020
The president-elect is expected to roll back Trump administration rulings.
President-elect Joe Biden delivers remarks about the U.S. economy during a press briefing at The Queen theater on Nov. 16, 2020 in Wilmington, Del.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Despite June's bullish employment numbers, the job market is reeling — and will be for a while

Jul 2, 2020
Employment remains below pre-pandemic levels, and as recently reopened businesses re-close, more job losses are on the way.
A grocery store employee cleans carts for customers in New York. Low-wage workers are disproportionately affected by the suffering job market.
Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

Pulling back the curtain on the manicure industry

May 7, 2015
There's no such thing as "discount luxury" — someone pays the price.
A nail salon in San Francisco.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

New minimum wage laws bring Walmart pay raises

Dec 25, 2014
More money in the pockets of Walmart employees could also help the retailer.