Most Connecticut job openings pay less than a “living wage,” according to an annual report by the Alliance for a Just Society, which also suggested that there are dozens of job seekers for every opening.
The report, released Tuesday by the Connecticut Citizen Action Group, defines a living wage based on the size of a household.
For instance, the alliance considers $19.44 an hour at 40 hours a week to be a living wage for a single adult. For this group, the report suggests that 49 percent of all openings are paying less than living wages. Meanwhile, $24.12 an hour is considered livable for a two-income family with two kids. In this group, the study indicated that 79 percent of all openings are paying less than living wage rates.
By these standards, Connecticut job seekers are facing stiff competition for positions paying a living wage. The report suggests that there are 25 single job seekers for every living wage opening. For households with two adults and two children, there are 61 seekers for every opening.
“Too many workers in Connecticut earn poverty-level wages that leave them without the means to provide for themselves and their families,” researchers wrote.
The report credits Connecticut with having one of the highest minimum wage rates in the country. The wage is scheduled to increase under legislation passed this year. The report suggests the state should do more to increase wages and invest in higher education support programs and initiatives to help residents pay off student loan debt.
