$2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America

Jennifer Hernandez and her two children spent 10 months in homeless shelters in Chicago before she finally landed a job cleaning houses and offices. She earned $8.75 per hour and was able to get by with the help of SNAP and a generous rent subsidy. Everything seemed to be looking up, but it didn’t last long. Once winter came, she had to start cleaning foreclosed homes with no heat, power, or water. She wore multiple coats while she worked, and the skin on her hands blistered and peeled. Her asthma made it difficult to breathe, and she became sick again and again. Jennifer’s employer drastically cut her hours due to her illnesses, so she decided to quit her job and begin the arduous process of finding work all over again.

There used to be far more working-class jobs that paid a decent wage, but low-wage employment has grown in recent years and is projected to grow further still. Not only are workers often paid too little to pull themselves out of poverty, but many of them are also given inconsistent hours. They are nevertheless expected to be available whenever the employer may need them, and a worker tends to be quickly disposed of if they find that difficult to do.