One Fair Wage For Illinois Tipped Workers

The subminimum wage for tipped workers is still just $8.40 an hour in the state of Illinois. While Chicago passed legislation to end the subminimum wage, Illinois has yet to end this direct legacy of slavery statewide. The subminimum wage impacts a workforce of nearly 196,000 tipped workers that is 71 percent women and 31 percent people of color, and an overall restaurant industry of 433,000 workers in Illinois. Even with tips, tipped workers in Illinois earn a median wage of just $14,590 a year and 18 percent of tipped workers receive SNAP benefits.