About two-thirds of fast food and counter workers in the U.S. are women, many supporting their families on those wages. The patchwork of minimum wage laws in the U.S. means income varies significantly based on local laws and cost of living, but fast food workers from across the country say those wages make it a struggle to survive. A growing number of states have pushed to increase their minimum wage in the face of record-high inflation in recent years. California in April raised wages for fast food workers, to $20 an hour from $16 an hour. Contrast that to Texas, which is one of 20 states at the $7.25 federal minimum wage floor and that rate hasn’t budged since 2009.
