{"id":31846,"date":"2022-08-26T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-08-26T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/freshcup.com\/?p=31846"},"modified":"2022-08-13T15:30:14","modified_gmt":"2022-08-13T20:30:14","slug":"inflation-continues-to-hammer-coffee-workers-in-the-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/freshcup.com\/inflation-continues-to-hammer-coffee-workers-in-the-us\/","title":{"rendered":"Inflation Continues to Hammer Coffee Workers in the US"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Are your paychecks keeping up with rising costs? If so, you\u2019re lucky<\/a>. A July 2022 survey revealed that \u201c54.7% of American workers have not had their hourly wage or salary match the consumer price index (CPI), the standard metric for consumer inflation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Costs for all goods and services have risen steadily over the past year as inflation continues<\/a> to spike with no signs of a slowdown ahead. The abovementioned CPI, or Consumer Price Index<\/a>, which measures changes in the cost of food, housing, gasoline, utilities, and other goods, rose by 9.1% over the past 12-month period ending in June\u2014a 40-year-high. Prices were up 1.3% in June alone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Persistently, the most significant increases measured by the CPI are in energy, which factors into the price of all goods since most things are manufactured and transported using some form of power like gas or electricity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The effects of inflation trickle down supply streams, meaning that even as increased costs of goods hammer small businesses<\/a>, workers need more money to stay afloat. In September 2021, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) found<\/a> salary increase budgets at 3.3% for 2022, a year that has seen inflation triple that number. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Compounding the issue in a necessary but painful<\/a> step: the Federal Reserve aggressively raised interest rates<\/a> to curb inflation in the long term. Higher interest rates make credit card debt more costly, worsening the struggles of those shifting expenses onto credit cards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are numbers on paper across all sectors, but how does this pan out for coffee workers in the US, especially at the lowest pay tiers? In addition to interviews, we sent out a survey asking hourly coffee workers about their experiences with wages and inflation. The results reveal cost increases baristas (and their employers<\/a>) just can\u2019t keep up with. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Abundance to Struggle<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Minneapolis barista Sam* has worked in coffee for seven years. She details her experience moving from a place of financial abundance into one of struggle between 2017 and now. Currently, she\u2019s taken on gig work outside of coffee. Sam had to take on a second job because her barista wages weren\u2019t covering expenses\u2014adding on a second gig has raised her average hourly wage by $10 per hour, but she works significantly more between the two jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI remember feeling abundant in 2017,\u201d she says. \u201cI could travel and get tattoos fairly often without feeling like I couldn\u2019t pay my bills. Planning those luxuries fit into my paychecks just fine. I could save up my cash tips for a few weeks to come up with what I needed.\u201d She remembers her coworkers fighting over who would get sent home early on slower days, adding that \u201cnot many people worked second jobs.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She\u2019s grateful to have had those experiences. Now, she feels \u201cextremely restricted with her cash flow,\u201d partially due to reduced hours in her coffee job. \u201cThe hours just aren\u2019t there,\u201d she says. \u201cIf they were, I\u2019d take them. My coworkers are a lot more protective over their hours now; the idea of getting sent home early is more a punishment than a lucky break. People really want to stay for their whole shifts and do whatever they can to pick up another shift.\u201d It\u2019s also become common for her coworkers to have second jobs or side gigs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the side, she now cleans luxury residential apartments via an app \u201cas often as I can to make up for the gap. My hours for the app aren\u2019t consistent, but when I get them, I make decent cash. I\u2019m at least breaking even each month.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With higher costs, fewer hours, less valuable wages, and four months of unemployment early in the pandemic, she drained her savings and accrued credit card debt. She\u2019s now chipping away at it, but \u201cit feels like a very steep mountain to conquer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Discussing inflation and business expenses, she notes that her pay is the Minneapolis minimum wage ($13.50 per hour as of July 2022), as her shop doesn\u2019t give raises. \u201cMeanwhile, in 2017, the price guests paid for their 10oz coffee was $1.50 an in 2017; the price guests pay for that same cup in 2022 is $3.25.\u201d She knows exactly where that money goes, and it\u2019s not into padding ownerships\u2019 pockets. \u201cWe all know how wild coffee prices have gotten, so of course, we know where that extra $1.50 is going.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pushed Out of Coffee<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

To former barista Vanea, coffee is a family thing. She\u2019s currently in Holland, Michigan, but comes from Kailua-Kona, Hawai\u2019i, where her family ran multiple caf\u00e9s until the late 2000s. After moving to Michigan, she worked at an on-campus caf\u00e9 in 2018 and moved to an off-campus one after businesses reopened in 2021. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI chose this place because of their good reputation in the coffee community. I was told there were lots of chances for movement throughout the company,\u201d Vanea says. It was over a month of training before she could work the floor, meaning a lower training wage and no tips.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was hired part-time but worked 28-30 hours a week to make ends meet. Being hired in the summer [with increased foot traffic], tips helped make up for the lack of pay.\u201d She started at $10 an hour, which she felt was low for her experience and work-related expenses. \u201cI asked for a raise after about eight months, expressing concerns to my manager about how I could barely put gas in my car, pay my rent and get groceries. He sympathized and requested a raise.\u201d She was told there was a wage freeze. \u201cI remember shortly after, we were all given swag bags with a notebook and a reusable cup. It felt like a slap in the face because I was struggling,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

She kept pushing as her expenses increased and her budget shrank, especially for non-fixed essentials like food. \u201cAfter I paid my rent and put gas in my tank, I would have very little left over,\u201d she says. \u201cIf I had to put more gas in my tank, I had to borrow money from my friends because I was struggling so much. I could only afford staples, nothing more.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She could not save even small amounts, no matter how many shifts she picked up. \u201cI was worried that if an emergency came up, I\u2019d be screwed.\u201d She would have breakdowns on the arrival of each paycheck. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSadly, I had to leave coffee,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s been my passion since I could crawl on the floor of my parent\u2019s caf\u00e9. My greatest memories are with the people I worked with through college and at my former place of employment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Breaking Even Means Long Hours, Long Weeks, and Rigid Budgets<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Alex is an Indigenous two-spirit barista in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They\u2019ve been in coffee for three and a half years with experience in training, management, catering, and\u00a0barista competitions<\/a>. They\u2019re currently working three jobs \u201cjust to keep up with expenses,\u201d which have increased dramatically.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt two of my jobs, the wage has increased since I started,\u201d they say. One increased from Alex taking on a role that would normally go to a second full-time worker. \u201cThe second was due to not being able to fill staff positions. The increase has helped: it allowed me to have a full day off every week.\u201d During COVID shutdowns, they had days where they worked from 5:30 in the morning to 10:00 at night \u201cat least twice a week.\u201d They still work six days a week to make ends meet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Describing costs, they specifically cite increases in expenses that support work. \u201cGas is an issue. Having to be places so early limits the amount of public transportation I can take. If I have to be at a caf\u00e9 at 5:30, the earliest bus sometimes isn\u2019t until 5:20 am.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parking is also a considerable expense for them since they work downtown. \u201cBeing responsible for commuting to different locations adds up,\u201d they say. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because of the amount they work, food costs are also a struggle. \u201cAlways being on the move, it\u2019s hard to pack a lunch or even find time to go grocery shopping,\u201d they say. \u201cEating out adds a lot of costs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cInflation is massively impacting my groceries, utility bills, and gas,\u201d says David, a roaster and barista trainer on Maui. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen things started to go up, I made a rigid budget,\u201d he says, \u201cbut staying under it usually means cutting non-essentials. Sometimes that\u2019s difficult because those are things I consider self-care, so I\u2019m reluctant to give them up.\u201d He wants to increase the amount he works but can\u2019t\u2014with young children at home, the increasing costs of daycare make it impossible. \u201cIt\u2019s really a rock and a hard place,\u201d he says.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raises Impossible or Simply Not Enough<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The survey we released to Fresh Cup readers shows that baristas and other hourly coffee workers struggle to meet their expenses even if they\u2019ve recently received a wage increase. Since\u00a0coffee companies are also struggling<\/a>\u00a0to meet rising costs, many haven\u2019t increased wages.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Barista Caitlin has worked in four caf\u00e9s in her life. In her current shop, she\u2019s making the most she ever has, \u201cmostly thanks to tips as my hourly rate is very low.\u201d In the past month, tips have dropped significantly, so her paychecks are smaller, \u201cwhich isn\u2019t fantastic with my cost of living increasing,\u201d she says. Before her current job, she worked at a shop where the hourly wage was over a third higher than what she makes today. \u201cIn my first shop, right before the pandemic, I made $12 an hour, which was increased to $13 during the pandemic as tips flatlined. I make $8.50 an hour at my current shop, but tips ideally double my paycheck.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Rose started as a barista during COVID, and raises simply haven\u2019t met expenses. \u201cI can only pay 25% of my rent, so my partner pays the rest, including groceries,\u201d she says. \u201cI can barely pay my expenses, let alone save for my future.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

John, a barista in Oklahoma, also relies heavily on shared finances to meet expenses. \u201cI live with my girlfriend, who pays the rent while I pay for utilities, groceries, etc. As it stands, I am able to afford my expenses with her second income, but we are still in poverty.\u201d He started barista work in the summer of 2021 at the Oklahoma minimum wage (same as the national minimum wage of $7.25\/hr). \u201cI now make $9 per hour.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re in full swing of the season,\u201d says Devon*, a barista in a mountain tourist town. \u201cI have cycled through struggling and racking up credit card debt. After tips, Walmart employees here make more than I do.\u201d Despite cost increases, the base pay at her shop is the same as when she started in 2020. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy wages aren\u2019t meeting my expenses,\u201d says barista Michael*. \u201cMy bills have increased substantially, and I\u2019m spending more on essentials each month. I have requested a raise from my manager\u2014however, it has been denied. The minimum wage in my county recently increased from $8.90 an hour to $9.50, so it has gone up to the new minimum.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Retail operations manager Shaylee shared that her wages almost meet her expenses. \u201cAlmost, but no. I can afford to pay my bills but have struggled when other life stuff happens (car towed, needing repairs, tickets, etc.).\u201d For instance, her shoes had holes for six months because she couldn\u2019t afford to replace them. \u201cI ended up getting rid of my car, and I eat a lot of frozen food. I really can\u2019t afford to do anything I enjoy.\u201d She says that technically, she\u2019s increased her income by 50% since 2020 but had to move to a state with a higher cost of living \u2014so the extra money doesn\u2019t go far.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a struggle, especially with recent gas and grocery price hikes,\u201d says caf\u00e9 manager Anna*. \u201cI have an expensive chronic illness, and health insurance costs have also gone up, which immediately ate up the increase that I did get in wages.\u201d Her wages have increased by $1.50 per hour since 2020. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asked if his wages have increased and if they meet his expenses, coffee roaster Richie responded simply: \u201cNo and no.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Coffee department head Pauline said her wages \u201cbarely\u201d meet her cost of living and have \u201cnot increased at all,\u201d despite inflation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jasmine*, a barista, says, \u201cMy wages are not meeting my expenses. I\u2019m tapping into my savings and running out of money quickly.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

John, a roaster, also said his wages don\u2019t meet his costs. \u201cI have $0.14 in savings,\u201d he says.\u201d Every month I\u2019m closer to bankruptcy.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moving Forward<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

With aggressive action taken by the Federal Reserve to curb inflation, will cost pressures ease, or will the rate increases trigger a recession that makes things even more difficult for baristas, other coffee workers, and caf\u00e9s? No one really knows. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As much as the inclination is to push for higher wages, simply raising wages is not enough to address the devastating effects of inflation on the retail coffee industry. Cost increases at every level of the supply chain have left many small businesses in a bind\u2014and workers in an even worse one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

*Names with asterisks have been changed to protect anonymity. We also only used first names to protect respondents\u2019 identities.\u00a0Cover photo by\u00a0Charisse Kenion<\/a>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

RJ Joseph<\/strong>\u00a0is a coffee writer focusing primarily on equity, workers\u2019 rights, and structural alternatives to the status quo. She\u2019s been a barista, a roaster, a green coffee grader and lab tech, and finally made coffee writing her full-time gig at Red Fox Coffee Merchants. In her decade in coffee, she\u2019s also run a queer coffee events organization, written a blog on equity in coffee, and run a coffee satire website called The Knockbox. If you see her around, say hi.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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