A new Mississippi’s wage bill promises reliefs for some low-wage workers but could spark resentment from fast-food employees still earning $7.25 amid growing campus job competition.
State lawmaker Rep. Bo Brown introduced HB 880 in January, mandating $10 hourly pay for non-tipped, tax-funded public jobs like university dining halls and libraries. If passed, it would exclude privately owned businesses, leaving retail and fast-food workers behind. Supporters say the raise could help curb the state’s high poverty rate, yet not everyone feels it will close the gap between public and private sectors.
For some students working in low-wage private jobs, that divide feels especially personal. For fast-food worker Angel Pickett, who despite earning slightly more than the current minimum still struggles economically, the proposal offers hope for others — but also the possibility of new divides.
“It’ll definitely create a lot of resentment between the public and private sectors,” Pickett said. “There will be that gap — ‘their minimum wage is higher than what my minimum wage is’ —and it doesn’t matter what sector you’re in. If your minimum wage is only $7.25, you’re going to be struggling.”
Pickett said she could see several of her close friends considering switching to public jobs if the bill passes. Many, she added, are currently living paycheck to paycheck and rely on gig work such as Uber and Doordash to cover basic expenses. She describes how their schedule leaves little room for rest or social life.
“Barely not much sleep — they’re constantly busy and they’ve given up doing pretty much anything that isn’t free — socialize,” she said. “As they’ve put it, they don’t really have a life outside of trying to make sure that their life remains the way it is and hoping that it gets better.”
While Pickett discussed the personal toll of unequal wages, others worry the policy could deepen existing employment imbalance. International student Leon Giri, limited to on-campus jobs, said that public jobs are already competitive and fears the bill could heighten the scramble for limited roles rather than fix wage disparities across the field. Giri has witnessed that pressure firsthand — and felt it himself.
“When I had just come to USM two years ago, people were looking frantically for jobs,” Giri said. “Some had no other option to take two or more jobs because of the lack of hours they got in one. It’s still bad when I see some of my friends having to look for more than one job so they even get hours. A lot of these areas have an overcrowded amount of students making it impossible to give everyone 20-hour workweeks.”
Even entry-level spots draw far more applicants than available spots, especially those with steady hours, Giri added. Despite concerns that the bill could make campus jobs even more competitive, for Giri, this bill is not just about competition but compensation for those in these roles.
“Students who work come from really struggling families who have a lot of debt,” he said. “This would help them a lot.”
