The southeast and southwest regions in the United States are home to “a disproportionate number of workers” who would benefit from raising the federal minimum wage to $10.10 an hour.
That’s according to a new report from the global “poverty-fighting group” Oxfam America.
Oxfam’s report, titled “Working Poor In America,” breaks the country into congressional districts and analyzes the percentage of workers in each district.
Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma and West Virginia are the top four states with the highest percentages of workers who would benefit from a raise in the federal minimum wage
Hawaii is among the 10 states with the lowest percentages of workers — about 16 percent — who would benefit.
President Barack Obama has proposed increasing the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10, but most Republicans oppose the idea.
This year, Hawaii increased the state’s minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $10.10.
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About the Author
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Chad Blair is the politics editor for Civil Beat. You can reach him by email at cblair@civilbeat.org or follow him on X at @chadblairCB.
