Pacific Views

The Dubya economy.

It's hitting workers in the state of Washington really hard.

According to a new study released by the by the Northwest Federation of Community Organizations, more that a quarter of the state's job openings are for work that pays less than US $20,942 a year. That figure is the 'living wage' for Washington — the minimum income that a single adult needs to cover basic living expenses. The study based its conclusions on figures for 2002, which are the most current available.

The odds worsen for a single parent of two young children who would need to earn at least $43,608 a year in Washington to make ends meet. More than three-quarters of job openings statewide — 77 percent — paid less than that, the study found....

Predictably, competition for even the lowest of the living-wage jobs is tough.

For every job paying $20.97 an hour, the base for a single parent of two, there are 13 job seekers, the study found. For jobs paying at least $10.07 an hour, the living-wage threshold for a single adult, there are four job seekers.

Given these figures, it's no surprise that Kerry has a good lead over Dubya in the most recent state polls.

Via Seattle Times.

Posted by Magpie at September 24, 2004 10:33 AM | Economy | Technorati links |