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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. 
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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New minimum wage laws bring Walmart pay raises

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