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Here’s how much it would really hurt Walmart to pay a living wage

Hint: Not that much.

 

Patrick Howell O'Neill

Tech

Posted on Apr 5, 2014   Updated on May 31, 2021, 12:48 pm CDT

There’s a whole lot that can and has been said about the way Walmart treats its workers.

But what if the world’s biggest private employer paid living wages instead of as little as possible? It’d cost about 1 more cent on that box of Mac and Cheese, according to a new video from Slate, and could save taxpayers about $300 million every year.

Of course, Walmart isn’t too keen on the idea of living wage. Last year, it pulled out of Washington, D.C., when the city passed a living wage law that would have forced the company to pay $12.50 per hour. 

Screengrab via YouTube

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*First Published: Apr 5, 2014, 3:18 pm CDT