October 12, 2021

A Five Dollar Raise Could Transform Walmart Associates' Health and Well-being

Research brief demonstrates the measurable benefits to public health and health equity that would result from a $5 an hour wage increase at Walmart.

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October 12, 2021

A Five Dollar Raise Could Transform Walmart Associates' Health and Well-being

Research brief demonstrates the measurable benefits to public health and health equity that would result from a $5 an hour wage increase at Walmart.

Download
Get In Touch

A Five Dollar Raise Could Transform Walmart Associates' Health and Well-being

Research brief demonstrates the measurable benefits to public health and health equity that would result from a $5 an hour wage increase at Walmart.

Download
Get In Touch

Summary

Walmart associates have been demanding a $15 base wage as well as commensurate wage increases for longer term employees for over a decade. In June 2021, Walmart executives refused a call from shareholders to raise starting associate wages to at least $15 per hour. As the largest retailer in the world, Walmart can afford to pay associates more—especially as the company’s heirs’ wealth ballooned during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hundreds of thousands of associates still earn below $15 per hour, and no associate has received the $5 an hour hazard pay that they have demanded throughout the pandemic.

This research brief looks at the massive benefits to public health and health equity that would result from a $5 an hour wage increase at America’s largest employer. The calculations derive from our application of peer-reviewed research studies and epidemiological population-level datasets to health indicators of interest.

We predict that a $5 an hour wage increase at Walmart would lead to:

  • An increase in the lifespan of associates by nearly 2 years
  • The prevention of more than 150 low birth weight births annually
  • An improvement in self-reported health status among associates
  • A reduction in mental health symptoms among associates
  • Health improvements that would benefit women associates and associates of color the most

The research tells a compelling story: Higher wages at Walmart translate to better health and quality of life. And importantly, these benefits would primarily accrue to women associates and associates of color at Walmart— a step toward gender and racial equity.

Research Brief

A Five Dollar Raise Could Transform Walmart Associates’ Health and Well-being Research Brief (PDF)

Open Letter to Walmart Leadership

Open Letter to Walmart Leadership (PDF)

Press Release: New Research Estimates Massive Public Health and Health Equity Benefits from a $5 Hourly Base Pay Increase at Nation’s Largest Private Employer

Walmart’s role in the COVID-19 pandemic: How lack of paid sick time prolongs the pandemic and increases mortality

UFR Five to Survive Campaign

Walmart could help its workers live longer — if it boosts base pay by $5 an hour, nonprofit leader says

Rapid Health Analysis of Minimum Wage Bill in California

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