The Missing Piece in the Wage Debate

When politicians talk about low wages, the debate almost always centers on the hourly rate: $15, $17, or $20 an hour. But there’s a massive side of the equation we rarely talk about: hours.

If you make $17/hour at 40 hours a week, you’re making ~$35,000 a year before taxes. Cut those hours in half, and your income drops off a cliff—no matter how high the hourly rate is.

In this segment, we break down new research from the People's Policy Project (as highlighted by Jacobin) detailing the crisis of involuntary part-time work in America.

Have you ever dealt with unpredictable hours or being kept just below full-time status to miss out on benefits? Let me know your thoughts and experiences in the comments.

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