Why do so many full-time employees need food stamps when they are working for the largest corporations?
In 2020, the U.S. Government Accountability Office found that 70% of federal aid recipients were full-time employees working at some of the largest well-known corporations—such as Wal-Mart, McDonald’s, Amazon, Kroger, and Dollar General.
So the biggest question I have after seeing this is:
Why don’t these giant corporations pay a living wage to their full-time employees?
I know that many people would like to argue that jobs paying minimum wage (or just above) are only meant for high schoolers who are just trying to get experience, but then it makes me ask the question:
Do you think these places should only be open when school is not in session?
During school hours, these places are still open and serving customers by people that are not in high school. About 75% of workers at places like fast food restaurants are over 19 years old. This then makes me ask:
Do these adults (some with families) deserve a living wage to support themselves without assistance from federal aid (i.e. taxpayers)?
These employees often deal with uncomfortable and demeaning positions to begin with, and many customers (especially those who never had to work at places like that) can sometimes be very rude and demanding to these low-paid employees who are just trying to survive each day. They deserve to be able to provide food and housing for themselves. If the full-time employees working at these large corporations are on federal aid, then it is clear that the corporations are refusing to pay a living wage because they would rather the taxpayers pay the cost of living through food stamps and other welfare benefits. Meanwhile, taxpayers are already shopping at those stores, so the corporations take advantage to increase their own profits by not paying fairly. The taxpayers (mostly the middle class) pay them for products and then pay for their employees’ welfare. This is part (a small but important part) of the reason the rich get richer.
Others may argue that jobs like first responders need to get paid way more if fast-food workers get paid a living wage. I definitely agree with that. It is also important to note that if you as a consumer at these places and/or a citizen receiving those benefits of having first responders, please understand that all of the jobs that you see and use regularly (even during school hours) are important—and the people working at all of these jobs deserve to be able to afford food, housing, and transportation.
In the end, the issue of low wages and federal aid is one that affects us all. We all benefit from a strong and stable economy, and that means ensuring that workers are paid a fair wage and have access to the support they need. It's time to have an honest conversation about how we can create an economy that works for everyone.