Evaluation of Barbara Ehrenreich's Argument about Low-wage Employment in Nickel and Dimed

Nickel and Dimed is one of Barbara Ehrenreich’s heralded books that goes to great length in presenting the state of employment in America with regards to the burden that a large portion of the labor market has to endure to capably live comfortably on the low-income earned. To fully comprehend the exact conditions that the low-wage workers have to endure, an analysis of research statistics or reports from government institutions does not portray the hardships faced by this income group. This presents the contextual circumstance that drove Barbara Ehrenreich to go on a real-life study on her experiences as a low-wage worker for two years. From the resultant book, Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, this essay looks to expound on the extent of credibility or inadequacy of the arguments that the author has based her arguments.

In a way that many writers could not have done, Barbara has impeccably gone beyond expectations to share with the reader’s useful lessons that pertain to frugality and the personal finance management of a low-income worker. The journey takes her to three different cities where she takes on different low-level income jobs while attempting to recapture the exact living standards that are expected of such income group. As she peruses newspapers looking for job advertisements, it is clear that her expected salary will be an average of $5.5 or to a reputable