"Low-Wage 20" Report Calls Out Companies Paying Worker Below Medicaid, SNAP Thresholds

"Many workers employed by the largest low-wage corporations in the U.S. are dependent on public benefits to access food or health care because their pay is so low, according to a new report by the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS). The report, titled "America's 20 Largest Low-Wage Employers and the Affordability Crisis," also found the lowest-paying S&P 500 corporations that primarily exploit U.S. workers - Amazon, Autozone, Best Buy, Dollar General, Lowe's, FedEx, Home Depot, Kroger, Starbucks, Tyson Foods, Target, and Walmart, among many others - are contributing to the national affordability crisis while rewarding their CEOs with astronomical pay."

"The report notes that, in 2024, 15 of the "Low-Wage 20" corporations paid workers less than $35,631 per year, which would make a three-person family eligible for Medicaid in most states. Thirteen of the 20 companies in the report paid below the $33,576 per year threshold for a family of the same size to be eligible for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits."

"Only five companies on the list paid workers enough to earn incomes above the Medicaid/SNAP thresholds - however, none of the Low-Wage 20 paid enough to help a family of three earn enough to pay for a two-bedroom house or apartment to rent, the report found."

"Indeed, when adjusted for inflation, half of the Low-Wage 20 corporations included in IPS's report are now paying their workers less than what they did five years ago. At the same time, CEO pay for the Low-Wage 20 averaged around $18.6 million per year."

The Institute for Policy Studies reports that workers at major U.S. low-wage employers including Amazon, Walmart, Target, and Starbucks earn wages so low they qualify for public assistance programs. In 2024, fifteen of the twenty largest low-wage employers paid workers less than $35,631 annually, making families eligible for Medicaid. Thirteen companies paid below the SNAP eligibility threshold of $33,576 per year. None of the twenty companies paid enough for a family of three to afford rental housing. Adjusted for inflation, half these corporations now pay workers less than five years ago. Meanwhile, CEO compensation for these companies averaged $18.6 million annually, contributing to the national affordability crisis.

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