Nickel and Dimed
Poverty was one of the most pervacent social welfare issues discussed in Nickel and Dimed. Barbara Ehrenreich went from being in middle-class society to barely being able to make rent working a low-wage job. This “test” was to see just how anyone can live on the wages given to the unskilled. The labor market pays a whopping $6 or $7 an hour. Someone working an 8 hour shift, 40 hours per week will make approximately $320 for that week, and that’s without taxes being withheld.