Decent Work and Economic Growth in the US

There are over 200 million people of working age (ages 15-64) in the US and 44% of them were in low-wage jobs with median annual earnings of $18,000 in 2019. Roughly 10% of the US population (34 million people) live below the poverty line. Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia have minimum wage laws, but only 16 of them have minimum wage laws above the federal minimum wage. Five states have no minimum wage law.

In the US, Social Security is a significant source of income for those in retirement, as well as a social protection for workers and their families dealing with a disability or death. For 50% of people 65+, Social Security provides at least 50 percent of their income, and for about 1 in 4 seniors, it provides at least 90 percent of income. Without Social Security benefits, about 4 in 10 Americans aged 65 and older would have incomes below the poverty line. Nearly 6 million children under age 18 also received income from Social Security in 2019. While women make up half of Social Security beneficiaries in their 60s, 70% of beneficiaries in their 90s, and 96% of survivor beneficiaries, they tend to receive lower benefits than men as a result of occupation(s), amount of time working, and the gender pay gap. As of 2020, Social Security began paying out more than it takes in and will have insufficient funds to pay out promised benefits and expenditures by the mid-to-late 2030s.

Use the tool below to view economic-related indicators nationally or by state, as well as an overview of the more than 39,500 nonprofits organizations that work on addressing related issues in the US. You can also discover 737 products and services in our Tech for Good Directory related to economic mobility, mentorship, workplace safety, equal opportunity and other key areas of workforce development.