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How we calculate the taxpayer cost of low wages ($152.8 billion per year in Berkeley's 2009-2011 accounting)
Sum(Program Costs for Working Families)Berkeley Labor Center, April 2015, covering four programs: Medicaid/CHIP, TANF, EITC, and SNAP. Computed from 2009-2011 data in 2013 dollars. This is a measurement of that period, not a current-year figure.
Berkeley Labor Center's published four-program split for working families, federal + state, 2009-2011 data in 2013 dollars. Components are independently rounded and sum to $152.9B against the published $152.8B total. Housing assistance is not part of this total.
Healthcare coverage for workers whose employers do not provide insurance ($45.4B federal + $23.8B state)
Tax credit for low-to-moderate income working individuals (federal)
Food assistance for working families who cannot afford food (federal)
Cash assistance for working families with children ($1.6B federal + $1.2B state)
| Company | Low-Wage Workers | Avg. Wage | Est. Taxpayer Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
#1Walmart | 960,000 | $12.50/hr | $3.4B - $10.1B |
#2McDonald's | 483,506 | $11.00/hr | $2.4B - $4.7B |
#3Amazon | 450,000 | $16.00/hr | $1.6B - $5.1B |
#4Yum! Brands | 235,200 | $10.00/hr | $1.3B - $2.5B |
#5Kroger | 242,000 | $13.00/hr | $871.4M - $2.6B |
Modeled by this site's calculation engine; the range reflects the eligibility band calibrated against GAO's state-level employer data. Low-wage headcounts and wages are project assumptions, documented in the methodology.