Two Jobs, Still Not Making It

Summary:

A 21-year-old woman describes the difficulty of paying the bills while working at a deli and Wendy's. What do the candidates have to say about that?

Website:

http://www.prx.org/articles/1474

Additional Credits and Funding:

Edited by Charles Lane, funded by PRX

Tones:

Delicate, Engaging, This American Life-esque

Description:

After her stepfather died, Monique Williams' mother went "out of control." So the teenager from Hammond, Indiana rented her own apartment and worked two jobs. She graduated from high school, but didn't have the money for college. Instead, she worked a pair of part-time jobs. Monique's job at a grocery store deli paid $7.29 per hour and her job at Wendy's paid $5.90 per hour. "It wasn't that much ... that's why I had to keep working," she says.

This story is part of the Promise Commentary series, an intimate look at the promises candidates are making this election year. All of them are free, compliments of CPB and the 100s of local stations who contributed to the PRX campaign audio archive. Check them out: http://www.prx.org/articles/1474

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