Characteristics of Low-Wage Workers and Their Labor Market Experiences:
Evidence from the Mid- to Late 1990s

Appendix D:
Supplementary Tables To Chapter V

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Table

1. Table D.1. Distribution Of Initial Demographic And Job Characteristics Of Low-Wage Workers Employed Three Years Later Compared With Those Not Employed Three Years Later
2. Table D.2. Average Real Wages Over Time Among All Job Starters, By Wage Type
3. Table D.3. Real Wages Relative To Poverty, At The Time Of The Follow-Up Period, By Wage Type And Gender
4. Table D.4. Growth In Real Hourly Wages Over Three Years, By Worker Type
5. Table D.5. Distribution Of Job Characteristics Across Initial Job And Most Recent Job Three And Half Years Later Of Low-, Medium, And High-Wage Workers, By Gender
6. Table D.6. Multivariate Analysis Findings On The Percentage Of Low-Wage Workers Switching To A Medium- Or High-Wage Job And The Percentage Of Low-Wage Workers Experiencing At Least A 50 Percent Increase In Wages By The End Of The Followup Period, By Gender

Table D.1.
Distribution Of Initial Demographic And Job Characteristics Of Low-Wage Workers
Employed Three Years Later Compared With Those Not Employed Three Years Later
(Percentages)

Characteristics	Male Low-Wage Workers		Female Low-Wage Workers
	Employed at Both Periods	Not Employed Three Years Later	Employed at Both Periods	Not Employed Three Years Later
Individual and Household Characteristics
Gender
Females	0	0	80	20
Males	88	12	0	0
Age
Younger than 20	13	8	8	7
20 to 29	43	33	39	37
30 to 39	24	15	25	29
40 to 49	13	15	18	13
50 or older	8	28	9	15
(Average age)	(31.0)	(37.7)	(33.3)	(34.1)
Race/Ethnicity
White and other non-Hispanic	72	68	75	74
Black, non-Hispanic	13	25	14	13
Hispanic	15	7	11	13
Educational Attainment
Less than high school/GED	26	27	16	25
High school/GED	43	42	45	35
Some college	16	22	17	21
College graduate or more	16	9	22	20
Has a Health Limitation	10	31	8	19
Household Type
Single adults with children	13	11	25	24
Married couples with children	39	20	38	38
Married couples without children	23	39	20	22
Other adults without children	26	30	17	16
Household Income as a Percentage of the Federal Poverty Level
100 percent or less	23	14	22	18
101 to 200 percent	28	38	28	38
More than 200 percent	49	48	51	45
Job Characteristics
Hourly Wages
Less than $5.00	26	29	30	44
$5.00 to $5.99	25	26	31	25
$6.00 to $6.99	31	21	26	23
$7.00 to $7.50	18	25	13	9
(Average hourly wage in dollars)	($5.72)	($5.47)	($5.48)	($4.95)
Usual Hours Worked per Week
1 to 19	8	12	16	19
20 to 34	17	33	29	32
35 to 40	54	38	47	40
More than 40	21	18	8	10
(Average hours worked)	(38.2)	(35.0)	(31.5)	(38.5)
Weekly Earnings
Less than $150	21	33	39	50
$150 to $299	65	54	56	48
$300 or more	13	12	4	2
(Average weekly earnings in dollars)	($220)	($194)	($176)	($154)
Occupation
Professional/technical	8	6	10	6
Sales/retail	11	9	18	14
Administrative support/clerical	8	5	19	17
Service professions/ handlers/cleaners	34	38	38	45
Machinists/construction/production/ transportation	28	34	12	16
Farm/agricultural/other workers	11	9	3	3
Sample Size	491	67	693	170
Source: SIPP March 1996 cross-sectional sample, and an entry cohort sample of those in the longitudinal panel file who started low-wage jobs during the first six months of the panel period. Note: Figures are weighted using the longitudinal panel weight.

Table D.2.
Average Real Wages Over Time Among All Job Starters, By Wage Type
(In Dollars)

	Low Wage		Medium Wage		High Wage		All
	Males	Females	Males	Females	Males	Females	Males	Females
Six-Month Period from Time of Job Start
1	7.06	6.49	11.58	11.13	22.79	22.69	11.97	9.47
2	7.74	6.96	11.94	11.68	22.43	21.57	12.30	9.88
3	8.31	7.10	12.19	11.97	22.91	21.48	12.73	10.08
4	8.87	7.59	12.45	12.22	23.20	22.06	13.11	10.49
5	8.94	7.91	12.86	12.40	22.58	23.14	13.17	10.80
6	8.94	8.04	13.30	12.56	23.11	22.23	13.46	10.84
Sample Sizes	491 to 558	687 to 863	541 to 571	420 to 481	270 to 286	122 to 138	1308 to 1415	1249 to 1482
Source: 1996 SIPP longitudinal files. a. Sample sizes are usually highest in period 0 and usually decrease as time from job start increases.

Table D.3.
Real Wages Relative To Poverty, At The Time Of The Follow-Up Period,By Wage Type And Gender
(Percentages)

	Low Wage		Medium Wage		High Wage
	Males	Females	Males	Females	Males	Females
Full-Time Earnings as a Percentage of Federal Poverty Level(a)
Less than 50 percent	4	4	2	2	1	0
50 to 100 percent	43	55	13	12	44	9
101 to 150 percent	40	33	33	41	8	10
151 to 200 percent	8	5	29	28	12	15
201 to 250 percent	3	1	14	10	21	17
More than 250 percent	2	1	9	7	54	50
Sample Sizes	491	693	541	420	270	126
Source: 1996 SIPP longitudinal file using workers who started low-wage jobs within six months after the start of the panel period. Note: All figures were calculated using the longitudinal panel weight. a. Refers to federal poverty level for a family of three.

Table D.4.
Growth In Real Hourly Wages Over Three Years, By Worker Type

	Low Wage Workers		Medium Wage Workers		High Wage Workers
	Males	Females	Males	Females	Males	Females
Percentage Employed in Both Periods(a)	82	74	92	85	93	87
Percentage Whose Wages:
Increased	78	81	68	73	59	54
Decreased	22	20	32	28	41	46
Percentage Change in Wages
More than 50 percent	26	20	17	13	9	13
26 to 50 percent	21	22	18	15	9	14
11 to 25 percent	17	21	18	23	18	12
1 to 10 percent	14	17	15	22	23	19
-1 to -10 percent	9	9	12	11	16	15
-11 to -25 percent	6	6	9	8	11	11
-26 to -50 percent	3	2	8	6	6	12
Less than -50 percent	4	2	3	3	8	8
Change in Real Wages Over Time (in Dollars)
More than $5.00	14	9	16	12	17	22
$2.51 to $5.00	21	15	22	19	14	12
$1.01 to $2.50	21	29	16	21	13	8
$0 to $1.00	21	27	15	21	14	12
$0 to -$1.00	11	11	11	10	7	7
-$1.01 to -$2.50	6	6	7	8	8	8
-$2.51 to -$5.00	3	2	9	6	11	12
Less than -$5.00	3	2	5	4	16	20
Percentage Whose Job Was:
Low wage	47	60	14	13	5	9
Medium wage	48	38	62	69	20	24
High wage	5	2	23	18	75	67
Sample Size	460 to 481	636 to 693	529 to 641	409 to 420	256 to 270	121 to 126
Source: 1996 SIPP longitudinal file using workers who started low-wage jobs within six months after the start of the panel period. Note: All figures were calculated using the longitudinal panel weight. a. Refers to the average wages during period 1, the first six-month wage average after the base period used to categorize workers into wage type, and the average six-month wage three years later.

Table D.5.
Distribution Of Job Characteristics Across Initial Job And Most Recent Job Three And Half Years Later Of
Low-, Medium, And High-Wage Workers, By Gender
(Percentages)

Job Characteristics	Males Workers						Females Workers
	Low Wage Workers		Medium Wage Workers		High Wage Workers		Low Wage Workers		Medium Wage Workers		High Wage Workers
	Initial Job		Most Recent Job		Initial Job		Most Recent Job		Initial Job		Most Recent Job
Usual Hours Worked per Week
1 to 19	8	5	4	2	4	2	16	10	9	6	13	11
20 to 34	17	10	10	5	3	4	30	20	20	18	14	21
35 to 40	54	60	49	58	50	49	46	62	55	60	48	52
More than 40	22	26	37	36	43	46	8	8	16	17	25	16
(Average hours worked)	(38)	(41)	(42)	(43)	(44)	(44)	(31)	(35)	(36)	(37)	(37)	(35)
Owns Business (Self-Employed)	9	8	7	7	12	12	6	5	5	5	12	7
Covered by Health Insurance(a)	24	52	46	74	77	89	34	65	64	84	76	84
Occupation
Professional/technical	8	11	18	20	48	52	10	15	34	36	73	68
Sales/retail	11	10	11	12	11	12	17	14	8	9	7	7
Administrative support/clerical	6	6	9	7	5	4	19	22	35	34	12	15
Service professions/handlers/cleaners	34	31	17	16	8	6	39	34	15	14	3	6
Machinists/construction/production/transportation	29	36	41	42	26	26	12	13	8	7	4	3
Farm/agricultural/other workers	11	6	4	4	2	0	3	2	1	0	1	1
Industry
Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting	11	8	6	5	6	6	8	6	4	4	7	6
Mining/manufacturing/ construction	21	26	37	35	34	32	11	14	13	15	15	13
Transportation/utilities	6	7	7	7	9	8	2	4	5	7	3	2
Wholesale/retail trade	30	25	16	19	10	11	31	26	13	11	6	6
Personal services	14	12	12	9	10	9	20	12	15	10	7	11
Health services	2	2	2	2	3	3	8	11	16	16	26	24
Other services	11	15	16	17	21	25	20	27	32	38	30	36
Other	6	5	5	6	6	6	1	1	1	1	6	2
Union Member	3	8	8	12	24	26	2	4	6	8	7	8
Sample Size	491	491	541	541	270	270	693	693	420	420	126	126
Source: 1996 SIPP longitudinal files using workers who started jobs within six months after the start of the panel period. Note: All figures are weighted using longitudinal panel weight. Sample includes individuals who started jobs at the start of the panel period and who held jobs three years later. a. SIPP contains information on employer-based health insurance coverage only for jobs that were in progress at the time of the interview. Thus, the health insurance figures in this table pertain to jobs held by sample members at the time of the wave 1 and the wave 12 interviews.

Table D.6.
Multivariate Analysis Findings On The Percentage Of Low-Wage Workers Switching
To A Medium- Or High-Wage Job And The Percentage Of Low-Wage Workers
Experiencing At Least A 50 Percent Increase In Wages By The
End Of The Followup Period, By Gender

Explanatory Variable	Regression-Adjusted Means for Models with Demographic and Other Denoted Explanatory Variables
	Switched to Medium or High-Wage Job		Experienced 50 Percent Increase in Wages
	Males	Females	Males	Females
Individual Characteristics
Age
Younger than 20(a)	39	39	19	23
20 to 29	58**	43	27	19
30 to 39	58**	43	25	20
40 to 49	52	32	25	18
50 or older	34	38	32	32
Race/Ethnicity
White and other non-Hispanic(a)	55	41	25	20
Black, non-Hispanic	43*	38	29	25
Hispanic	49	39	27	17
Educational Attainment
Less than high school/GED(a)	47	34	18	15
High school/GED	51	36	23	17
Some college	61*	48**	32*	27*
College graduate or more	58	47*	38**	26
Has a Health Limitation
No(a)	53	40	26	20
Yes	51	41	21	28
Household Characteristics
Household Type
Single adults with children(a)	61	41	27	23
Married couples with children	55	41	28	24
Married couples without children	49	30*	21	14*
Other adults without children	50	50	26	19
Household Income as a Percentage of the Federal Poverty Level
100 percent or less(a)	55	43	34	17
101 to 200 percent	49	36	24*	18
More than 200 percent	54	42	24	23
Received Public Assistance in the Past Year
No(a)	54	41	27	20
Yes	45	39	18*	21
Area Characteristics
Region of Residence
Northeast(a)	56	37	29	21
South	53	43	26	27
Midwest	50	39	16**	20
West	53	42	33	13
Lives in a Metropolitan Area
No	46	35	16	17
Yes	56*	43*	30**	22
20th Percentile of the Weekly Wage Distribution in State
$250 or less(a)	51	41	22	21
$251 to $269	54	44	31	23
$270 or more	55	38	27	19
Percentage of State Population Residing in Metropolitan Areas
72 percent or less(a)	52	41	29	20
73 to 84 percent	60	32**	29	16
85 percent or more	47	49	20	25
Poverty Rate in State
Less than 10 percent(a)	52	47	20	23
10 to 12 percent	59	45	31	20
More than 12 percent	49	30**	26	19
Unemployment Rate in State
6 percent or less(a)	50	42	25	22
More than 6 percent	61	37	27	15
Change in Unemployment Rate in State of Residence Between 1996 and 1999 (Percentage Points)
-2 percentage points or less(a)	46	41	14	31
-1 to -2 percentage points	51	39	28	20
More than -1 percentage point	59	44	28	19
Initial Job Characteristics
Hourly Wages
Less than $5.00(a)	40	30	34	28
$5.00 to $5.99	39	35	29	18**
$6.00 to $6.99	62**	51**	20**	21
$7.00 to $7.50	72**	52**	21**	12**
Usual Hours Worked per Week
1 to 19(a)	39	33	19	14
20 to 34	53	45**	32	24*
35 to 40	55*	40	24	20
More than 40	54*	40	27	28
Has More than One Job or Business
No(a)	52	39	24	19
Yes	59	47	34	30*
Owns Business (Self-Employed)
No(a)	51	39	25	20
Yes	71**	72**	39	33
Covered by Health Insurance(b)
No(a)	50	38	26	21
Yes	59*	43	26	20
Union Member
No(a)	53	40	26	20
Yes	62	57	17	33
Occupation
Professional/technical(a)	49	38	21	21
Sales/retail	54	47	29	24
Administrative support/clerical	64	49	36	19
Service professions/handlers/cleaners	46	34	23	17
Machine/construction/production/transportation	60	36	27	27
Farm/agricultural/other workers	49	56	27	29
Industry
Agriculture/forestry/ fishing and hunting(a)	48	15	21	8
Mining/manufacturing/construction/transportation and warehousing/utilities	54	40**	29	16
Wholesale/retail trade	54	43**	22	25*
Services/other	52	44**	28	21
Type of Worker
Continuous worker with only one employer/business	51	35	20	11
Continuous worker with more than one employer/business	55	43	24	18
Intermittent worker, employed less than 75% of time	36/**	37	27	23*
Intermittent worker, employed 75% or more of time	59	43*	29	26**
Regression R(2) Value
Sample Size	491	693	491	693
Source: 1996 SIPP longitudinal files using the entry cohort sample of workers who started low-wage jobs within six months after the start of the panel period. All workers were followed for 42 months after job start. Note: All figures are weighted using the 1996 calendar year weight, and standard errors account for design effects due to weighting and clustering. a. Denotes the "left-out" explanatory variable in the regression model. b. These figures pertain to health insurance coverage from all sources, including coverage through the employer as well as from other sources. We used this variable instead of the employer-based health insurance coverage variable, because data on overall health insurance coverage is available monthly, whereas the employer-based coverage variable pertains only to jobs in progress at the time of the interview. Thus, the employer-based health insurance variable could not always be linked to the job under investigation, which led to a significant number of missing values. However, the subsets of health insurance variables overlap considerably: the source of health insurance coverage was the employer for 80 percent of those with any coverage. * Difference between the variable mean and the mean of the "left-out" explanatory variable is significantly different from zero at the .10 level, two-tailed test. ** Difference between the variable mean and the mean of the "left-out" explanatory variable is significantly different from zero at the .05 level, two-tailed test.

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