The minimum wage in Oakland, California is nine dollars an hour. A local coffee-shop owner and her employees are typical Americans struggling to make ends meet. The recent boost in the minimum wage has helped, but it’s not enough.
More on low-wage laborers elsewhere:
http://www.dw.com/en/in-germany-a-job-doesnt-always-cut-it/a-18829086
http://www.dw.com/en/uk-women-work-for-free-for-the-rest-of-the-year/a-18835753