The coveted $15 an hour is $31200 a year. Still well below the "national average". Unfortunately that national average takes in to account all the billionaires and millionaires. Which drives that average up greatly. I do not know how retirees and people on entitlements figure in this formula.
The national average is about $25 to get to around the $50000 number. How many people do you know making $25 an hour at a job? A quick scan on the local Craig's List seems to show most jobs starting at $8 OR $9 an hour. About half of the $15.
Now the tricky thing is a lot of the the people on the campaign for the $15 an hour are part time workers that receive entitlements and cannot make over a certain amount or they lose the benefits. So if you can only work 10 or 15 hours a week to not exceed the limit this will drop down to 5 or 7 hours a week. Or given the choice of working more hours to get to the $31200 a year and giving up entitlements what do you think the most popular decision would be? Bust your butt and make more or drop down to 5 hours a week, pay no taxes and live the same as someone making $15 an hour. DA!
