Tip System in the United States
Statistics in the United States
Many waitresses in the United States are only being paid around $2.13 per hour. Receiving tips from customers are meant to replace the missing pay check, but waitresses are not always given tips and are therefore not paid minimum wage. The Wall Street Journal mentions, "Nearly 15% of the nation's 2.4 million waiters and waitresses live in poverty, compared with about 7% of all workers."
Minimum Wage Before Tips
Almost half of the states in the United States are giving waitresses $2.13 an hour.
Tipped Workers Facing Poverty
16.7% of waiters and waitresses are currently living in poverty.10% more than regular workers.
Tipping More Shows Employment Growth
The restaurants who tip more show increased predictions in projected restaurant industry employment growth from 2013 to 2023
Raising the Tipped Minimum Wage
The tipped minimum wage has not been increased since 1990. By raising the tipped minimum wage, workers will be guaranteed to make more than $2.13 an hour and will not have to rely on tips to make it through the week.
President Obama and Congressional leaders have called for raising the federal minimum wage to $10.10 per hour.