Maine DOL releases 2010 livable wages
The Maine Department of Labor has released updated average livable wages for 2010 that range from $11.02 per hour to $21.89 per hour.
According to the DOL's Center for Workforce Research and Information, a single adult needs a little more than $11 an hour, or a $22,925 annual income, to make ends meet, with 50% of the household budget going to food and rent and 12%-20% to health care. In households with children, about 40% of the budget is for food and rent, and another 40% for health and child care. A livable wage for each adult in a two-parent household with two children is $13.35, or an annual household income of $55,550.
Livable wages were first calculated to show that neither the federal poverty level nor the minimum wage provides a reasonable standard of livability for Mainers, according to the DOL. The department calculates the wage based on seven expense categories: food, housing, transportation, health care, child care, clothing and personal care. The DOL also compiles livable wages for each county and metropolitan area, which can be read here.
Maine's average annual wage in 2010 was $37,343. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2010 American Community Survey, a total of 145,270 Maine households, or about 26.6%, made less than $24,000, and 229,184, or about 42%, made less than $50,000.
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