Struggling to Make Ends Meet
Public Polling of Low-Wage Workers
http://www.cvworkingfamilies.org/system/files/StrugglingtomakeEnds.pdf
Source: Corporate Voices for Working Families
Year: 2004
Number of pages: 16
Abstract:
On behalf of Corporate Voices for Working Families,
Hart Research Associates and WirthlinWorldwide have
conducted a comprehensive national survey on the issue
of low-wage work in America. The main survey sample consists
of 804 registered voters nationwide. The same survey (with a
few modifications) also was conducted among a national sample
of 583 low-wage workers, defined as employed adults age 18 to
64 who work at least 20 hours per week, earn less than $11 per
hour, and have a total annual household income below $40,000.
The margin of error for the general public sample is ±3.5%, and
for the low-wage worker sample is ±4.1%. In addition, six focus
groups were conducted in May 2004 in Chicago and Dallas: four
groups among low-wage workers and two groups among business
leaders.
The survey covers three principal topic areas: 1) assessments
of how serious a problem low-wage work is in the American
economy today; 2) explorations of financial conditions for lowwage
workers and their families (and the same measurements
among higher-wage workers, for the purpose of comparison); and
3) preferences regarding solutions to the problem of low-wage
work. This report reviews the key survey findings in each of these
three areas.