The federal minimum wage is $7.25, but the federal tipped minimum wage is only $2.13. Oregon, with a vibrant restaurant industry and one of the nation’s highest minimum wage, pays tipped and non-tipped workers alike $9.10. As of 2012, tipped workers earned a median wage of $9.00 including tips — equivalent to $18,720 for a full-time year-round employee. However, tipped workers generally are allowed part-time schedules that vary by season, and tips fluctuate by season and shift, leaving many restaurant workers in a precarious situation.

The Rising American Electorate refers to the demographic groups that are growing the most rapidly, historically with lower voter participation rates, but whose growing civic engagement has been crucial in tipping the scales in recent elections. Tipped workers are primarily women, over 30% are moms, and although many are married, nearly half of these are single moms. Although the median age for tipped workers is 31, half of them are younger. And they are racially diverse, overrepresented by Latinos, Asians, and African Americans compared to the broader workforce. They are also a highly educated group. Tipped workers are a snapshot of the RAE.

TIPPED WORKERS AND THE RISING AMERICAN ELECTORATE

THE STATE OF TIPPED WORKERS

In Oregon there are over 62,000 tipped workers, and 61% of these work in the restaurant industry. The restaurant industry employs nearly 10% of the workforce and is one of the fastest growing sectors of the US economy. Unfortunately, the restaurant industry offers several of Oregon’s lowest paid jobs. Six of the ten lowest paid occupations are in the restaurant industry, and two of these are tipped occupations.

TIPPED MINIMUM WAGE

$9.10 MINIMUM WAGE

$9.10MEDIAN WAGE FOR TIPPED WORKERSINCLUDING TIPS

$9.00

GENDER

73% 27%

Restaurant Opportunities Centers United

www.rocunited.org

2 LOWEST PAIDTIPPED OCCUPATIONS

TIPPED WORKERS WHOWORK IN RESTAURANTS

61%COUNTER ATTENDANTS

BUSSERS, RUNNERS, AND BARTENDER ASSISTANTS

O R E G O N

In states with a tipped minimum wage of $2.13, the poverty rates for workers of color is nearly double that of the seven states without a tipped minimum wage, with one in four living in poverty. WHITE PEOPLE OF COLOR ALL

POVERTY RATES IN $2.13 STATES 16% 25% 20%

POVERTY RATES IN STATES WITH NO TIP CREDIT 13% 14% 14%

TIPPED WORKERS AND THE RISING AMERICAN ELECTORATE

White 78%Latino 10%Asian 8%Other 4%Black 2%

<_24 26% 25-34 31% 35-44 19% 45+ 25%

RACEAGEHIGHER EDUCATION

EDUCATION

PARENTS WITH CHILDRENON FREE LUNCHES

53%

MARITAL &PARENTAL

STATUS

47%Married 32%Parents 29%

Dads 17%Moms 33%

Single Moms 15%

POVE

RTY

RAISE THE MINIMUM WAGELiving off tips is precarious, but it doesn’t have to be this way. Raising the minimum wage and eliminating the tipped credit would provide a significant stimulus to the U.S. economy in tipped wages alone, providing a boost to local economies and the broader food industry, as well.

FOR MORE INFO rocunited.org/stateoftippedworkers/

The industry projects employment will continue to grow at the rate of 12% over the next decade.HINDUSTRY PROJECTED SALES 2014 ➤ 6.7 BILLION

BIL

LIO

N

IND

US

TRY

GR

OW

TH

29%

POVERTY RATE

POVERTY RATE

TIPPED RESTAURANT W

ORK E

RS

T IPPED WORKERS

22%

19%

WORKERS ON FOOD STAMPS

2X REST OF OREGON WORKFORCE

32%

31MEDIAN AGE

of tipped worker moms

are single moms

MINIMIM WAGE$10.10$12.00$15.00

TIPPED STIMULUS$12.7$19.4$30.1

TIPPED RESTAURANT WORKERS

live in POVERTY at 2X the rate of

the Oregon workforce.