In Nickel and Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich discovers what it is like to live off a minimum wage job and how people manage their expenses in the bottom 20 percent of the economy. Ehrenreich does this by going to 3 U.S. cities and getting many low paying jobs that range from a waitress to a housekeeper. She finds out that it is very difficult to find a respectable place to live, and that doesn't take your whole income to pay for, if you are working a minimum wage job. She also describes the jobs as being very physically demanding and mentally draining. Ehrenreich states that the managers and many of the people receiving higher wages do less work than the lowest paid employees. The lowest paid employees are also often treated very badly and never get raises. Overall, Ehrenreich proved that no one can live a healthy live on such low paying jobs.
Question #10: I think that a "living wage" should be calculated by how much money you need to survive with the most basic necessities. It should be the bare minimum for being able to live safely.
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