Why do adults work low-wage jobs? Common barriers to better paying employment opportunities
Adults working low-wage jobs are often ridiculed, or simply ignored. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) measures underemployment by looking at part-time workers that would rather have full-time work, but that isn’t a true picture of the job market.
The real definition of underemployment is working a job that doesn’t make use of — or pay for — your skills, talents, and experience. This group makes up a large portion of adults in low-wage jobs.
In fact, as of 2020 there are 37.2 million people living at or below the poverty line. An individual supporting a family of 4 would need to earn over $13 per hour to be at the poverty level.
Meanwhile, over 715,000 adults are earning at or lower than the $7.25 per hour. Federal minimum wage. In my mind, these people should also be considered underemployed regardless of skillset.
Often, just taking those minimum wage jobs prevents these adults from finding better employment. For others, obstacles to employment may be beyond their control. A lack of access to transportation, affordable daycare, and even necessities like food and shelter affect one’s ability to work. Cycles of poverty are difficult to escape for this very reason.
In 25 years of writing resumes, I’ve seen a plethora of situations that have led people to stay in the same low-earning jobs they’ve had all their lives. I was able to get most of those people into better paying entry- level jobs to start new full-fledged careers, but it takes more than a winning resume.
Here are some of the barriers to better employment and how to overcome them.
Low self-confidence
In my experience, the biggest barriers to improving employment are within the mind of the worker. A lack of confidence born from a lifetime of minimum wage jobs prevents them from finding better employment opportunities. When someone has only worked in fast food, the idea of trying to hold down a job as a secretary can seem ridiculous to them. Why would anyone hire them?
In truth, there are many skills from low-wage jobs that can translate into better paying positions. For example, working in fast food gives you experience in customer service and cash handling, both of which can lead to other jobs. Resumes can easily be written to showcase such skills, but if the job seeker lacks confidence in their ability to do the job well, they still won’t find other employment.
Real world example:
A friend asked me to write a resume to help him re-enter the field in which he had earned his degree. He had gotten stuck in a job that had decent pay and benefits, staying for years because it seemed the responsible thing to do. When he learned of a position in his original field of study, he wanted to jump on the opportunity.
Everything I highlighted in that resume was 100% true. I didn’t include any skills or experience that wasn’t on the materials he gave me. But, when he looked at it, he wouldn’t submit it. Why? Because he lacked the confidence to do so. He felt the resume made him look too good, but in reality, he couldn’t see his own worth.
This case was the catalyst that shaped the first chapters of my book. There are myriad job opportunities for every skillset. As of now, there are 11.2 million job openings and 5.5 million unemployed people desiring full-time employment.
Why are there so many jobs and so few workers applying for them? For some, unemployment is more attractive than underemployment. But the vast majority of these workers simply don’t believe they are qualified or capable of doing the job.
Hiring a resume writer may result in a document that wows employers with skills and experience, but it doesn’t bestow the confidence needed to actually win the job.
Even if hiring a resume writer, job seekers should brainstorm their skills, talents, and work experience they’ve accumulated over their time in the workforce. Job seekers can then use those keywords to search open positions and get an idea of the other opportunities out there that may be possible.
Criminal history is a barrier, even when expunged
There are a total of 11 states that participate in automatic criminal expungement, removing public records of arrests, convictions, probation periods, and even prison sentences after a certain period of time has elapsed. It depends on the crime, but even felons can have their record expunged.
This includes many more people than you might think. About 70% of Americans have some type of criminal record, even if it is just an arrest with no conviction.
Why is criminal history a barrier if there is no public record? Here is an example:
A man clearing debris from an abandoned property was convicted of theft. It was a felony conviction due to the amount claimed. The man served over a year in a county prison before being released on probation. Six years from the date of conviction, as ordered by the judge who ruled on the case, the felony was automatically expunged.
After that point, the criminal record no longer prevented employment. Instead, there was now an employment gap of over a year that couldn’t easily be explained without volunteering criminal history. Unexplained employment gaps are a big barrier to employment. Most employers want an explanation when you are unemployed for a long period of time.
There is a way to get around this. The man in our example has always found work as a chef or lead cook, and he worked in the kitchen during his time in prison. I included the position on his resume, including the name of the facility, start and end dates, and his duties. This resulted in an accurate resume that doesn’t make the prison term obvious.
(Notice that, although information about the status of the worker was omitted, the details are accurate. Never lie on a resume.)
Resumes with obvious job hopping are rarely given a second look
Job hopping or moving from job to job in a year or less, is usually looked upon as irresponsible behavior. Many employers and recruiters assume that job hopping is indicative of poor work ethic at best and substance abuse at worst. But there are many other reasons people “job hop.”
Employers often have strict attendance guidelines that make maintaining employment impossible for people with mental or physical disabilities, including mental illness. If poor attendance is discovered when verifying prior employment, chances are that the candidate will not be getting a call back. Many people with highly desired skills and experience are unable to find or keep work because they have attendance issues.
Unfortunately, many people think that if you have a disability, you should receive Social Security payments and stop working. They think that if you are able to work at all, you should be able to prevent job hopping. There are some big flaws in this way of thinking.
The amount that a person receives on Social Security disability or SSI is a joke. I have both physical disabilities and a mental illness. I have only once worked for the same employer for more than a year. My work history looks very similar to those of people suffering from addiction, including the attendance issues.
I found an alternative in freelancing, and it is working well for me. But not everyone can make self-employment work. Your resume needs to do two things to prevent job hopping from negatively affecting your job search.
1. Emphasize the skills, talents, and experience that make you the perfect fit for the job.
2. Organize the work history in a way that the details shine but the dates are little more than an easily ignored footnote.
For my own resumes, I make strategic use of the work history footnote. The goal is to only provide details for the most relevant positions, while irrelevant positions are listed separately with only job title and company. This shows the employer a broad range of work experience but emphasizes that you have what it takes for the job. It also downplays the number of jobs you have had in a specific period of time.
Transportation, daycare, and other barriers to gainful employment
There are many issues that prevent people from getting better employment that are beyond their control. A lack of transportation could make it very difficult for people in both rural and urban economies to find full-time employment at a living wage.
Used car dealerships today prey on these people. It is no easier than ever to drive off a car lot, new or used, without good credit. The problem is that the unreasonable payments eat up the little bit of added income from changing to a better job.
Daycare is another big issue for low-wage earners. The average cost of daycare in the US is over $10,000 per year or at least $800 per month per child. Remember that an individual supporting a household of 4 must earn at least $13 per hour to be at poverty level.
That individual would need to work 60 hours per month per child just to cover the daycare costs. This is why it doesn’t make sense for most households with children younger than school age to have two full-time wage earners.
And yet, the majority of recruiters don’t want to hire someone who has been unemployed for years, even when it was to raise a family. The best way to get around this is to list your experience running a household on your resume.
You can include keywords that employers and ATS look for like organizational skills, communication skills, budgeting, and more. Don’t forget to include any certifications you got as a parent, like first aid training. It’s more of an asset than you might think.
A good way to get around all of these barriers is to join the freelance or gig economy. One of the reasons there are so many jobs and so few applicants is that a large portion of the workforce is taking this option. About 500,000 of the 6 million people counted as unemployed by the BLS have opted for alternative employment like online freelancing or local gig work.
Individuals with marketable skills can absolutely earn a living in this economy. Although I have been freelancing for 16 years, the trend has exploded since 2020. Remember that an excellent resume, self-confidence, and dedication are all required for this option as well.
Feeling above it all
The fact that there are 11 million job openings and 5.5 million people “looking” for work makes it clear that there are many workers who are unwilling to accept underemployment. While that makes sense on some level, it isn’t a solution for those trying to lift themselves up out of poverty and on the road to a better life. There is nothing wrong with taking a job just for the money while looking for other, better work.
The key is not to remain stuck there. Always be looking for that next opportunity. Job hopping only matters when you list it on work history. If you work positions on a temporary basis, there is no reason to include those on your resume. Since the pandemic, a period of recent unemployment is preferable to job hoppers.
In the end, anyone can find better employment if they are just willing to take that leap. Sometimes things must be uncomfortable to initiate change. Are you ready to move forward?
