Cost of injuries, illness to low-wage workers: $39 billion
With more and more Americans finding themselves in low wage work due to the effects of the recession, two public health experts have produced a policy brief that examines the financial impact of work-related injuries and illnesses to that segment of the workforce.
Liz Borkowski and Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH, who write frequently on the Pump Handle blog, note that low wage workers account for between one-fifth and one-third of the U.S. workforce, and new job growth from 2010 - 2011 has occurred primarily in industries with median wages below $15 per hour.