▁problems ▁of ▁rising ▁economic ▁inequality , ▁the ▁increase ▁of ▁long - term ▁low - w age ▁jobs , ▁and ▁a ▁decl ine ▁of ▁un ions ▁and ▁legal ▁protection ▁for ▁workers . ▁Since ▁living ▁w age ▁ordin ances ▁attempt ▁to ▁address ▁the ▁issue ▁of ▁a ▁living ▁w age , ▁defined ▁by ▁some ▁of ▁its ▁pro ponents ▁as ▁a ▁family ▁w age , ▁rather ▁than ▁as ▁an ▁individual ▁w age , ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁benef ici aries ▁may ▁already ▁be ▁in ▁families ▁that ▁make ▁substantial ly ▁more ▁than ▁that ▁necessary ▁to ▁provide ▁an ▁ade qu ate ▁standard ▁of ▁living . ▁According ▁to ▁a ▁survey ▁of ▁labor ▁econom ists ▁by ▁the ▁Emp loyment ▁Pol ic ies ▁Institute ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁only ▁ 3 1 % ▁viewed ▁living ▁w ages ▁as ▁a ▁very ▁or ▁somewhat ▁effective ▁anti - p over ty ▁tool , ▁while ▁ 9 8 % ▁viewed ▁policies ▁like ▁the ▁US ▁earned ▁income ▁tax ▁credit ▁and ▁general ▁w elf are ▁gr ants ▁in ▁a ▁similar ▁ve in . ▁On ▁the ▁other ▁hand , ▁according ▁to ▁Zag ros ▁Mad jd - S adj adi , ▁an ▁econom ist ▁with ▁the ▁State ▁of ▁California ' s ▁Division ▁of ▁Labor ▁Statistics ▁and ▁Research , ▁the ▁living ▁w age ▁may ▁be ▁seen ▁by ▁the ▁public ▁as ▁prefer able ▁to ▁other ▁methods ▁because ▁it ▁rein for ces ▁the ▁" work ▁eth ic " ▁and ▁ens ures ▁that ▁there ▁is ▁something ▁of ▁value ▁produced , ▁unlike ▁w elf are , ▁that ▁is ▁often ▁believed ▁to ▁be ▁a