To Work or Not to Work? That is the Question
Growing up, getting a job, buying a home and starting a family may sound like a simple, straightforward prospect.
Growing up, getting a job, buying a home and starting a family may sound like a simple, straightforward prospect.
But a new generation of COVID-era workers is proving even with full-time effort, some jobs don’t make enough to build that simple dream.
In Geauga County and across the nation, workers are coming to the bargaining table to demand wages that increase with inflation and the cost of living, as well as access to benefits like vacation, sick days and employee-sponsored health insurance.
But for lower-wage workers — especially those who earn minimum wage — a new job might not bring the same payoffs as in the past.
Using Ohio’s minimum wage for 2021, $8.80 per hour, the National Low Income Housing Coalition “Out of Reach” report showed it would take 62 hours per week for a minimum-wage worker to earn enough to rent a one-bedroom apartment in Geauga County. The statewide average, according to NLIHC, is 60 hours per week.
The estimated mean wage of renters in Geauga County, according to the NLIHC, is $10.01 per hour, which could cover $520 per month for rent.
A minimum-wage worker could afford $458 monthly, the report said. However, the NLIHC estimates fair-market rent of a one-bedroom apartment at $705 per month for Geauga County and $684 statewide.
To afford fair-market rent, an employee would need to make $13.56 per hour, the NLIHC said.
Figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that out of 15.4 million total Ohio workers listed in the report, about 1.1 million — a little over 7% — made less than $13.56 per hour.
Geauga County’s Metropolitan Housing Authority operates a public housing program, with 243 units around the county. A single person making up to $44,050 per year can qualify for GCMA affordable housing, although there is a waiting list for access to units. BLS statistics show the average annual salary of Ohioans working in 284 separate fields — about 5.4 million workers — is under $44,000.
A GCMA spokesperson said the agency has issued 171 housing vouchers for Section 8 rentals and 13 for non-elderly disabled households, but still sees a need for more vouchers, especially for the latter group.
Rent for a one-bedroom unit served by the voucher program, through which rent costs are subsidized by public funds for those who qualify, is capped at $800 per month. A new applicant cannot put more than 40% of their monthly income towards rent and utilities, GCMA said.
Ohio’s minimum wage was raised to $9.30 an hour for 2022. Twenty-seven states have a higher minimum wage, with the District of Columbia ranking highest at $15.90 per hour.
A job-order report provided by Ohio JFS showed so far in January, there are 35 open positions in the county available through Ohio Means Jobs. Most of the positions do not advertise wages, an OMJ staffer said.
Of those with published wages, the lowest wage on offer was for a retail store, at $15 per hour. The highest was a landscaping position at $20 per hour. One manufacturing position stated an hourly wage of $17 with a $1,000 sign-on bonus, OMJ said.
Out of Alignment
As businesses struggle to maintain full staffing, higher-wage workers find many offers still aren’t sweet enough to seal the deal.
Garrett Westhoven, a software developer who lives in Chester Township, said when he has been reached by recruiters, they don’t make the effort to connect what he is looking for in a job to what they are offering.
“My LinkedIn (profile) explicitly states I’m looking for a team lead type of role and virtually everything that comes in is for “senior software developer” or some rough equivalent, which is what I do now,” Westhoven said. “Also, almost none of them list a salary, so my attitude is — you didn’t even make a slight effort to convince me, or bother reading my profile.”
Westhoven said one benefit of living and working in Chester Township is access to high-speed internet, making remote work possible. The proximity to Cleveland is another bonus.
During the pandemic, Westhoven discovered he prefers an office to working from home. But with a 2-year-old at home, returning to the office did not seem worthwhile for now, he said.
Westhoven’s comments echoed those from local social media users. In response to a Dec. 17 Maple Leaf Facebook post, a commenter said while she had been offered interviews, one prospective employer would not match her current salary and another said it could take months to go through the interview process.
Another commenter said there are jobs available in the county paying $18.50 per hour, but in response, a person said that wage would not cover her childcare costs.
One poster said his company is offering $25 as a starting wage — the highest ever offered.
“Can’t get anyone. Looking for equipment and truck operators at high wages and still having a hard time filling those positions too,” he said. “We’ve had a lot call about and or fill out (an application), but then you don’t hear back from them. They’re satisfying unemployment so they don’t have to work.”
