Even McDonald's says McDonald's employees need a second job

Turns out minimum-wage living is an oxymoron.

(Image credit: Richard Graulich/ZUMA Press/Corbis)

last updated 8 January 2015

McDonald's, partnering with VISA, has released a not-at-all patronizing budget journal to help employees better navigate the waters of minimum-wage living.

The takeaway? Get another job.

Despite some absurdly deflated numbers — like $20 per month for health insurance — the budget journal acknowledges that it's virtually impossible to live off of the fast food chain's wages, which could be a problem for a company that has recently seen a string of highly publicized strikes in New York City. In addition, corporate giants like Walmart have recently come under scrutiny for allegedly failing to provide its employees with a living wage, which has become an urgent issue as American workers increasingly rely on part-time jobs to get by.

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Monica Nickelsburg is a digital producer for TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for Transient Pictures, The Daily Beast, NBC, and Forbes. Follow her @mnickelsburg.

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