WAGE$ Study - Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

The WAGE$ Study is a five-year study that will evaluate the effects of a minimum wage increase in Minneapolis on the health of low-wage workers.

For Study Participants

COVID-19 Resources

Learn about resources to help families affected by COVID-19 (a coronavirus) in Wake County by visiting tinyurl.com/COVIDWake.

Materials for Study Participants

Thank you for participating in the WAGE$ Study this year! We appreciate your willingness to complete some study activities remotely and some in person during this final year of the study.

Please find instructions and additional information for submitting your pay stub and collecting your food receipts below. If you have any questions, call us at 919-617-7505 or email us at wages@unc.edu.

Materiales para los participantes del estudio

¡Gracias por participar en el Estudio WAGE$ este año! Agradecemos su disposición para completar algunas de las actividades del estudio de forma remota y algunas otras en persona durante este último año del estudio.

Favor de ver las instrucciones y la información adicional para enviar su talón de pago y como recolectar sus recibos de alimentos a continuación. Si tiene alguna pregunta, llámenos al 919-617-7505 o envíenos un correo electrónico a sueldos@unc.edu.

About the Study

Study Team

The study is led by Dr. Caitlin Caspi at the University of Minnesota (UMN). UMN partnered with Dr. Molly De Marco and FFORC to enroll participants in Raleigh, N.C. to serve as a comparison.

Participants

In 2018, 475 people who earn low wages ($11.50/hr or less) in Raleigh, N.C. enrolled in the WAGE$ Study. Each year for the next four years they will complete a survey and verify their current wages, and we will measure their height and weight. Every other year they will collect and return two weeks worth of food receipts. The same will happen in Minneapolis.

Partners

Over 35 organizations serving families living in Raleigh, N.C. partnered with FFORC to conduct outreach to potential participants. These organizations include PRIME Collective LLC, Passage Home, Dress for Success, Alliance Medical Ministry, and more!

Study Principles for Community Engagement

We are committed to: 1) ensuring a positive experience for and fairly compensating participants and 2) sharing the results of this study to support organizations that provide services to and advocate for low-wage workers.

Next Steps

May 2022: We’ll convene partners in Raleigh to share a summary of the data collected in the first three years. We’ll discuss how to interpret the results and tell the stories that need to be told.

July – October 2022: We will conduct follow-up appointments with all enrolled participants.

Learn More

Want to learn more or join us for the partner meeting? Email wages@unc.edu.

Click to download the PDF one-pager about the WAGE$ Study.

The WAGE$ Study is funded by The National Institutes of Health and the Department of Family
Medicine and Community Health at the University of Minnesota.