Cost of living and minimum wage are two important metrics that have, for obvious reasons, gone up over
the past decade. However, the only issue is that these two metrics have not seen an equal increase over time.
It’d be assumed that as the standard amount of money it takes to live rises, the minimum wage would rise
to match it.
Since 2012, the average cost of rent for a 1 Bedroom apartment in the Portland area has increased from
$835 a month to $1,744 a month. That is a 109% increase.
Since 2012, the Portland metro minimum wage has increased from $8.80 an hour to $14.75 an hour.
That is a 68% increase.
According to livingwage.mit.edu, the current living wage for Multnomah County is $21.60 an hour.
As the numbers above indicate, there is a clear disconnect between these two figures. Even in the Portland
area, where minimum wage numbers are far better than most other parts of the country, we still don’t see a
balanced increase. This is an issue. When you give companies a minimum amount they must pay their
employees, it’s hard to expect them to pay much above it. That’s why the minimum wage was established.
To ensure that employers provided an amount indicative of a minimum standard of living. These numbers
show that that trend has not been kept going, and that creates a serious problem for entry-level workers.
By Taite Harms
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