Table of Contents
Where is Labor cheapest in the US?
The States Where Workers Get Paid the Lowest Wages
- Mississippi. Mississippi has the lowest median hourly wage in the U.S.| SeanPavonePhoto/iStock/Getty Images.
- Arkansas. Wages for the lowest-earning workers in Arkansas have fallen 2.3\% since 2003.
- West Virginia.
- South Dakota.
- Louisiana.
- Alabama.
- South Carolina.
- Montana.
Why are salaries in Miami so low?
Experts blame a combination of factors, including the relative youth of local industry, a thin corporate bench, business-friendly taxes and a low-wage mentality more pervasive than in even other right-to-work states. Together, it adds up to what the University of Miami’s John Quelch agrees is a “Miami Discount.”
Why are wages so low in Texas?
Why is the minimum wage so low in Texas compared to other states like California and New York? The biggest reason is the cost of living is lower in Texas. Further, they see the minimum wage as a starting wage, not one that people should expect to live their lives off of.
Does the South have high labor cost?
Workers in the southern United States have historically earned lower wages than the rest of the country, a fact some argue is merely a result of lower living expenses. By contrast, adjusted wages were significantly higher throughout much of the Midwest.
Why is rent so high in South Florida?
Tepid wage growth, higher land and construction costs, increased demand for rentals and rising home values all have contributed to the affordable housing situation in South Florida, experts say.
Is minimum wage too low in the south?
The wage doesn’t affect most workers since it’s below the federal minimum of $7.25. But keeping a low minimum wage on the books even so is not unusual in the South. A handful of states in the region, including Louisiana and Mississippi, don’t have minimum wage laws at all.
Why are there fewer high-paying jobs in the south?
Areas of the South with few higher-paying jobs are also characterized by similarly low cost-of-living adjusted wages. Some of the main drivers pushing wages up or down include regional industry concentration, education levels and housing costs.
Where are the lowest-wage areas in the US?
Of the 20 metro areas with the lowest estimated wages adjusted for cost of living, all are located in the southern U.S. except for Honolulu and New York. While there are exceptions, this low-wage segment of the country stretches from the Atlantic coast all the way to southern California.
How much are workers feeling the pinch from low wages?
Just how much workers are feeling the pinch from low wages, though, depends in large part on where they live. Average wages can vary greatly from region to region, and adjusting for the cost of living provides an approximation of how far workers need to stretch their paychecks.