Prevailing wage laws establish a local wage floor for different types of skilled construction work on public construction projects. This study examines links between prevailing wage laws and homeownership, housing wealth, and property tax revenues for these workers and their communities. By stabilizing the wage floor and supporting apprenticeship programs, state prevailing wage laws promote ladders into the middle class for blue-collar workers. This report looks into data from the American Community Survey and uses statistical analysis to analyze the impact of state prevailing wage laws on the incomes, home ownership rates, and home values of blue-collar construction workers.
These laws have been linked to higher incomes and stronger career training institutions for blue-collar construction workers. Ultimately, this study shows how prevailing wage allows hardworking craft workers who build the nation’s infrastructure to achieve the American Dream.