Why raising the minimum wage is a win for Oklahoma’s youth

When people talk about raising the minimum wage, the focus is usually on adults trying to support households. But higher wages don’t just matter for older workers — they matter for youth. Whether we’re talking about young adults navigating their first jobs or kids whose parents and caregivers are struggling on low wages, the minimum wage directly shapes youth outcomes across an entire generation.

Nationally, nearly 44 percent of all workers earning the minimum wage or less are under 25. When wages fall short of basic needs, families face financial stress that affects everything from childhood development to long-term educational and health outcomes. For young workers themselves, low wages limit opportunities to stay in school, pursue training, or move into higher-paying careers.

A $15 minimum wage wouldn’t simply help workers take home more money. It would strengthen family stability, improve youth well-being, and build the foundation for a stronger workforce in the years ahead.

Raising the minimum wage improves childhood outcomes

Oklahoma’s reality is hard to ignore: our kids are growing up with some of the deepest economic hardship in the country. Nineteen percent of children in Oklahoma live in poverty, compared to 15 percent nationally, and 23.5 percent — about 223,890 children — experience food insecurity, a clear sign that families are struggling to meet basic needs. When household resources are stretched this thin, children feel it immediately and over the long term — which is precisely why wage policy matters.

Research shows that raising the minimum wage improves children’s health and long-term development — impacts that ripple forward across an entire lifetime. Studies have found that increases in the minimum wage were associated with higher birthweights, driven by improved fetal growth. Birthweight is a powerful predictor of adult health; lower birthweight is linked to a greater likelihood of chronic illness, developmental challenges, and mental health difficulties later in life. Boosting wages helps parents and caregivers access better nutrition, prenatal care, and stability — conditions that support healthier pregnancies.

Higher wages also give parents something equally valuable: time. When the minimum wage goes up, parents tend to spend more time investing in their children — and even modest increases make a difference. Early childhood — especially birth through age five — is when children build the social, emotional, and cognitive foundations that set them up for success. A higher minimum wage helps parents and caregivers reclaim time with their children during those formative years.

Stagnant wages keep families reliant on public assistance

The current federal minimum wage functions as a poverty wage — every household type requires a far higher hourly income than $7.25 just to meet basic needs. For a single adult in Oklahoma, the living wage is nearly $21 an hour; for an adult with one child, it climbs to more than $36 an hour. Even two adults sharing costs can’t come close to a living wage at $7.25 an hour.

Living wage data sourced from the Living Wage Institute

This gap has real consequences. Moving the wage floor federally to $15 an hour would lift between 1.8 and 3.7 million people out of poverty nationally, including up to 1.3 million children — a shift that would fundamentally reshape economic security for working families.

In the meantime, taxpayers are footing the bill for wages that don’t come close to covering basic needs. In states with minimum wages below $15, the federal government spends $254 billion each year on safety net programs for families earning the minimum wage or less — and 42 percent of those dollars go to working families. These are workers who show up every day, often full-time, yet still depend on food assistance, Medicaid, or housing support because their paychecks fall so far short of what life actually costs.

When workers can’t afford housing, food, childcare, transportation, or healthcare, they also can’t save or invest in their future. That eliminates opportunities to pursue education, build wealth, or move into higher-paying jobs — but raising the minimum wage would help reverse that pattern and support middle-class growth across entire communities.

Young workers need a living wage to stay in school and build stability

For young people, a higher minimum wage can be the difference between staying in school and dropping out. Teen employment has gradually shifted toward education, with more young people enrolling in summer or year-round schooling. Stable wages make it easier for low-income teens to remain enrolled, manage basic expenses, and focus on completing their education.

Yet young workers often start their working lives at an even greater disadvantage: federal law still allows subminimum wages for youth, students, and certain occupations dominated by young workers. These lower wage categories mean that many teens and young adults — already juggling the costs of transportation, food, or childcare — are legally paid less simply because of their age. It’s an inequity baked into the system.

A stronger future for Oklahoma’s youth

Raising the minimum wage is about more than helping adults make ends meet. It’s about giving young people the chance to build healthy, stable, and productive lives. A living wage supports healthier childhoods, reduces poverty, keeps teens in school, and helps young adults pursue education or raise families without falling into crisis. When young workers can earn enough to live, Oklahoma’s future becomes stronger, more equitable, and far more resilient.

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OK Policy’s Communications Associate Kati Malicoate contributed to this article.