A new report shows that among the most common jobs in Akron, few pay enough to eliminate the need for government assistance.
The survey from Policy Matters Ohio shows the top ten includes cashiers, retail salespeople and restaurant workers. And the median salaries for those jobs in Akron are not enough to push a family of three over the threshold for food assistance, which is a little more than $26,000.
Hannah Halbert is a researcher with Policy Matters Ohio. She authored the report. She says increasing the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour, and expanding collective bargaining rights for employees, are two ways to help fix the problem. She also says the state could help by implementing laws that were recently blocked by the Trump administration.
“Changing our overtime laws so that more people – folks that are working managerial or shift supervisor positions in fast-food and retail – could qualify for overtime.”
Akron had only three occupations among the top ten most common jobs that paid better than the food assistance threshold: office clerks, customer service reps and registered nurses.
The report can be read here.
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