Fast Food Workers Struggle With Low Wages and Grueling Hours

Millions of fast food workers, predominantly women, face economic hardships as federal minimum wage stagnates at $7.25 an hour since 2009.

TiAnna Yeldell, a 44-year-old single mother of three in Texas, works two jobs totaling 80 hours a week to support her family, earning $9.50 an hour at Pizza Hut and $17 an hour cleaning trains.
Fast food workers in the U.S. are disproportionately women and Hispanic, with over half of them being 20 years or older, countering the stereotype of teenage workers seeking pocket money.
While states like California have raised wages for fast food workers to $20 an hour, Texas remains at the federal minimum wage of $7.25, unchanged since 2009, with preemption laws blocking local increases.
Labor advocates highlight poor working conditions in the fast food industry, including unpredictable hours, wage theft, and limited benefits, while critics argue that wage hikes strain small business franchisees.
Research suggests that minimum wage increases, such as California's, have minimal impact on employment and result in modest price increases, but workers like Yeldell still struggle to cover basic living expenses.