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Fair Labor

INCOME
INEQUALITY

From 1935 until the 1970s, relatively high rates of union membership among Americans played an important role in reducing income inequality. In roughly the same period, incomes doubled, and grew in all segments of the work force at about the same pace. Since the 1970s, as rates of union membership have fallen, an old problem has reemerged: income inequality.

Average individual made

^$56,200/YR

In 2018

51.2 ^%

of all Pennsylvania workers make $15 per hour or less

6.9MILLION

people in the US were considered working poor in 2017

WHY IT MATTERS

In spite of economic gains over the last forty years, the purchasing power of American workers’ wages has been stagnant

Many of the people working in low-paying jobs aren't teenagers, but adults who are struggling to support their families

As working peoples’ wages have stagnated, executive compensation has skyrocketed

This extreme inequality is bad for everyone

We need your help

Workers who believe that their rights have been violated in their workplace are encouraged to email the Fair Labor Section at wagetheft@attorneygeneral.gov or file a complaint online.