Q&A: Poverty in Athens

By Crystal Villarreal

Q: What is the rate of poverty in Athens?

A: The poverty rate in Athens is 34 percent, which means about 40, 000 people are living below the poverty line.

Q: Why is the poverty rate so high?

A: An uncompetitive workforce, unreliable transportation, the university’s wage levels, service work jobs, and the fact that students suppress wage levels all contribute to the high poverty rate.

Q: What are service work jobs?

A: Service work jobs are jobs that provide services, like working in a restaurant. They pay low wages, many don’t offer benefits, and they can be unstable.

Q: How do students suppress wage levels?

A: Many students are working for pocket money so they’re more willing to accept lower wages, said Matthew Bishop, the coordinator of operations for the Archway Partnership, Public Service and Outreach/Cooperative Extension at the University of Georgia. This makes the rate of wages lower because students and permanent residents compete for jobs. Businesses are more likely to hire students because they will take the lower wages.

Q: How does the University of Georgia affect the level of wages in Athens?

A: As the largest employer in Athens the university sets the precedent for wage levels, according to the Living Wage Campaign.

Q: How many people does UGA employ?

A: UGA employs over 9,000 people.

Q: How could the university help the Athens community?

A: By paying a living wage of around $12 an hour, according to the Living Wage Campaign.

Q: If the university provided its workers with a livable wage would this fix poverty in Athens?

A: No, a living wage is not a fix-all. It would help to increase wages, but there are still so many other factors contributing to poverty that need to be addressed, said Matthew Bishop.

Q: Who is working to address these other factors?

A: Organizations like the Fanning Institute, the Economic Justice Coalition, and the Living Wage Campaign are working to raise awareness about poverty, find out what people living in poverty need, what its causes are, and what can be done to alleviate it.

Edited by Shaye Weaver