COUNTER ATTENDANTS

BARTENDERS
SERVERS
Georgia does not have a state minimum wage
law, instead the federal minimum wage of
$7.25 applies. The tipped minimum wage is
even lower, standing at $2.13 for the last 23
years. In 1991 it was pegged at 50% of the
federal minimum wage. In 1996 it was ofcially
depegged from the minimum wage and has
remained frozen ever since. Including tips, tipped
workers in Georgia earn a median wage of only
$8.50 equivalent to $17,680 for a full-time
year-round employee. However, tipped workers
generally are allowed part-time schedules that
vary by season. Seven states have eliminated the
tipped minimum wage in those states tipped
workers receive the full minimum wage.
The Rising American Electorate refers to the
demographic groups that are growing the
most rapidly, historically with lower voter
participation rates, but whose growing civic
engagement has been crucial in tipping the
scales in recent elections. Tipped workers
are primarily women, nearly 40% are moms,
and although many are married, nearly
half of these are single moms. Although the
median age for tipped workers is 30, half of
them are younger. And they are racially diverse,
overrepresented by Latinos, Asians, and African
Americans compared to the broader workforce.
They are also a highly educated group.
Tipped workers are a snapshot of the RAE.
TIPPED WORKERS AND THE RISING AMERICAN ELECTORATE
THE STATE
OF TIPPED
WORKERS
In Georgia there are nearly 150,000 tipped
workers, and 64% of these work in the
restaurant industry. The restaurant industry
employs nearly 10% of the workforce and
is one of the fastest growing sectors of the
US economy. Unfortunately, the restaurant
industry offers several of Georgias lowest
paid jobs. Seven of the ten lowest paid
occupations are in the restaurant industry,
and three of these are tipped occupations.
3 LOWEST PAID
TIPPED OCCUPATIONS
TIPPED
MINIMUM WAGE
$2.13
MINIMUM WAGE
$7.25
MEDIAN WAGE FOR
TIPPED WORKERS
INCLUDING TIPS
$8.50
GENDER
69%
3
1
%
TIPPED WORKERS WHO
WORK IN RESTAURANTS
64%
Restaurant Opportunities Centers United
www.rocunited.org
GEORGI A
In states with a tipped minimum wage of $2.13,
the poverty rates for workers of color is nearly
double that of the seven states without a tipped
minimum wage, with one in four living in poverty.
WHITE PEOPLE OF COLOR ALL
POVERTY RATES IN $2.13 STATES
16% 25% 20%
POVERTY RATES IN STATES WITH NO TIP CREDIT
13% 14% 14%
TIPPED WORKERS AND THE RISING AMERICAN ELECTORATE
White 54%
Black 26%
Latino 10%
Asian 7%
Other 3%
<_
24 37%
25-34 23%
35-44 18%
45+ 21%
RACE
AGE
HIGHER EDUCATION
EDUCATION
PARENTS WITH CHILDREN
ON FREE LUNCHES
44%
MARITAL &
PARENTAL
STATUS
46
%
Married 31%
Parents 32%
Dads 17%
Moms 39%
Single Moms 18%
P
O
V
E
R
T
Y
Tipped restaurant
workers live in
POVERTY at 2X the
rate of the Georgia
workforce.
RAISE THE MINIMUM WAGE
Living off tips is precarious, but it doesnt have
to be this way. Raising the minimum wage and
eliminating the tipped credit would provide
a signicant stimulus to the U.S. economy in
tipped wages alone, providing a boost to local
economies and the broader food industry, as well.
FOR MORE INFO rocunited.org/stateoftippedworkers/
The industry projects employment will continue
to grow at the rate of 14% over the next decade.
H
INDUSTRY PROJECTED SALES 2014

16.5 BILLION
B
I
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L
I
O
N
I
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D
U
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Y

G
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P
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D

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T
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W
O
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T
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D

WO
R
K
E
R
S
24
%
20
%
WORKERS ON
FOOD STAMPS
1.3X REST OF GA
WORKFORCE
16%
30
MEDIAN AGE
of tipped
worker moms
are single moms
MINIMIM
WAGE
$10.10
$12.00
$15.00
TIPPED
STIMULUS
$12.7
$19.4
$30.1