Living wage

The minimum hourly compensation required for a worker to afford basic necessities including housing, food, transportation, healthcare and other essential expenses in Los Angeles County, working full-time (2,080 hours per year). In LA County, this differs from minimum wage requirements, with the County setting rates for unincorporated areas and the City of LA maintaining its own minimum wage and living wage ordinances. The City of LA’s Living Wage Ordinance requires a base hourly rate with health benefits or a higher rate if health benefits are not provided. Living wage calculations vary by family size and household composition, with larger families requiring higher wages to meet basic needs. This is due to the high cost of living in Los Angeles, where wage standards help to ensure that all workers can earn a living wage. For Metro’s equity work, living wage employment ensures that jobs created by transit projects provide workers with sufficient income to meet their basic needs in LA County’s high-cost environment. (Source: Toolkit project team definition)