Nickel and Dimed

Curious about how people survive on minimum wage, Barbara Ehrenreich experienced the life first-hand, taking on a series of low-paying jobs in Key West, Portland, Maine, and Minneapoli. s

Working as a waitress, a housecleaner (for the national chain Merry Maids) and at a Wal-Mart store, Ehrenreich discovered how nearly impossible it is to find decent housing and hold down only one minimum-wage job. In addition, she discovered many other sad truths about so-called “unskilled” labor, one of them being that much of it requires more skills than she ever imagined, and certainly skills that aren’t offered in any Master’s or Phd program. “The first thing I discovered is that no job, no matter how lowly, is truly ‘unskilled,’” Ehrenreich writes. Every one of the jobs I entered into in the course of this project required concentration, and most demanded that I learn new terms, new tools, and new skills.”

Her co-workers were often single parents who were either living with their own parents or sharing small apartments with their children; many of the women she met lived in motels and a few she encountered even slept in their cars. The high cost of housing was generally the main reason workers were unable to get ahead, Ehrenreich found; the cost of getting into an apartment was prohibitive (requiring first and last months’ rent as well as a damage deposit) and the cost of rent, couple with food, clothing, transportation, and childcare costs often left little for education or entertainment. Even purchasing items that were necessary for work, such as khaki slacks or a white blouse, was difficult.

Because of the large number of jobs available, finding work isn’t as hard as you would expect, although there are hurdles—chief among them, transportation. Also, many companies advertise that they are “now hiring” but it simply means they are collecting prospective employees in preparation for future needs—not that they can offer a job now. And, because employers often require a drug test, and a personality screening, applying can be arduous and stressful. Many employers treat low-wage employees as if they are likely to cheat, steal, and quit as soon as they are paid. They withhold the first paycheck, making it hard for employees to get housing, and they monitor their workers closely for actual theft and what Wal-Mart calls “time theft”—i.e. socializing on company time or taking a restroom break while on the clock. Low wage employees can be made to feel like criminals who are closely watched, distrusted, and unvalued.

Some readers may take issue with Ehrenreich’s experiment, questioning its authenticity, but it is important to note that she never claims she is giving up her own life to start a new one—only that she is dipping into the low-wage workforce temporarily to get a glimpse into the lives people lead when they are working without much money and without the benefits afforded professionals. Her sense of humor and unflinching exposure of the reality of the low-wage lifestyle is both entertaining and extremely thought provoking.