Poverty and Labor Markets in Minnesota
Prepared for
The Legislative Commission to End Poverty by 2020
Steve HineResearch Director
Department of Employment and Economic Development
US Families in Poverty(2005, numbers in thousands)
All income
levelsBelow poverty
Share below poverty
People in families 242,389 26,068 10.8
In families with no workers 26,156 8,941 34.2
In families with at least one worker 216,233 17,127 7.9
Only one working family member 73,850 13,043 17.7
Two or more working family members 142,382 4,084 2.9
Share of Jobs Below Poverty Thresholds (hourly wage rates)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Census Poverty Threshold Census LLSIL JobsNow Coalition
Per
cen
t o
f Jo
bs
(200
5 A
vera
ge)
156,328 jobs
Share of Jobs Below Poverty Thresholds (hourly wage rates)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Census Poverty Threshold Census LLSIL JobsNow Coalition
Per
cen
t o
f Jo
bs
(200
5 A
vera
ge)
499,000 jobs
Share of Jobs Below Poverty Thresholds (hourly wage rates)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Census Poverty Threshold Census LLSIL JobsNow Coalition
Per
cen
t o
f Jo
bs
(200
5 A
vera
ge)
1,583,000 jobs
Characteristics of Jobs
All Jobs
Jobs Below JobsNow
Wage
Jobs Below Poverty Wage
Share of Jobs that are Full-Quarter
71.1% 62.2% 43.6%
Ave. Hrs per Quarter of Full Qrter Jobs
410 hours 356 hours 232 hours
Share of Jobs Below Poverty Thresholds (quarterly wages paid)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Census Poverty Threshold Census LLSIL JobsNow Coalition
Per
cen
t o
f Jo
bs
(200
5 A
vera
ge)
)
971,000 jobs
Share of Jobs Below Poverty Thresholds (quarterly wages paid)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Census Poverty Threshold Census LLSIL JobsNow Coalition
Per
cen
t o
f Jo
bs
(200
5 A
vera
ge)
)
1,137,000 jobs
Share of Jobs Below Poverty Thresholds (quarterly wages paid)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Census Poverty Threshold Census LLSIL JobsNow Coalition
Per
cen
t o
f Jo
bs
(200
5 A
vera
ge)
)
1,764,000 jobs
Share of Jobs Below Poverty Thresholds (quarterly wages paid)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Census Poverty Threshold Census LLSIL JobsNow Coalition
Per
cen
t o
f Jo
bs
(200
5 A
vera
ge)
)
1-adult 1-child family
2-adult 2-child family
818,000 jobs 1,033,000 jo
bs
1,412,000 jobs
Median Wages of Job Vacancies
$0.00
$2.00
$4.00
$6.00
$8.00
$10.00
$12.00
Jobs Paying at or below JobsNow Living Wage ($ per quarter)
for a Family of Two Persons (1 Adult + 1 Child) in Selected Counties,
Average Quarter 2005
JobsNow Number ofJobs at or below JobsNow
wage level
County Wage Level Total Jobs Percent
($/quarter) Number Of Total
Beltrami 6,994 77,217 52,178 67.6
Clay 6,984 75,025 50,176 66.9
Crow Wing 7,862 125,901 89,020 70.7
Meeker 8,070 29,299 20,215 69.0
Otter Tail 6,807 94,112 64,051 68.1
Pine 8,871 33,665 27,777 82.5
Todd 7,628 27,452 19,239 70.1
Wright 9,594 152,959 115,506 75.5