Problems in Paradise: Low Wages and the Well-Being of Hawaiians

Abstract

Hawaii is used as a case study to examine the impact of wages related to the real cost of living (COL). Hawaii’s US$10.10 minimum wage is below the COL based on the federal Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM), raising its low poverty rate to the ninth highest nationally. Wages, housing, and the high rate of homelessness are examined, as is the necessity for multiple jobs, which impacts family life. This article also examines how the gig economy affects wages and economic insecurity. Low wages can lead to high debt levels and a reliance on a predatory shadow economy. Finally, this article examines macro and micro social work practice in the context of working toward higher wages, greater income equality, and addressing the needs of a new group of the “near poor.”