University of California, Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education
Shows that the millions of people earning poverty-level wages in the U.S. are forced to rely on public assistance programs — specifically, Medicaid, food stamps, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, and the Earned Income Tax Credit program — in order to meet their basic needs. The researchers estimate that more than $150 billion is spent annually to subsidize low-wage workers. The researchers further demonstrate that 48 percent of home care workers live in households requiring such assistance.