Why Did Obama Go to Costco? Our Wage Calculator Explains

Check how many hours it would take you to make a living working at Costco vs. Walmart.

Ruaridh Stewart/ZUMA Press

This morning, President Obama visited a Costco in suburban Maryland to reemphasize the theme of income inequality he sounded in the State of the Union speech last night. Our calculator shows why Obama chose the home of the giant pickle jar and behemoth TP package: Even at the relatively low wages paid by big-box retailers, slightly better pay can mean the difference between inescapable poverty and a modest living.

 

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