A new analysis from the Institute for Policy Studies shows that employees at some of the largest U.S. corporations earn wages so low that many qualify for Medicaid and SNAP, even as executive compensation and stock buybacks continue to climb. The report identifies 20 major S&P 500 companies whose median pay falls below basic assistance thresholds for a family of three, with Walmart and Amazon showing particularly high rates of workers enrolled in public programs. Researchers argue that corporate spending on buybacks—more than $32 billion in 2024—could have doubled wages for a million workers to a level sufficient to afford average U.S. rent. Companies pushed back, saying eligibility for benefits depends on household income and that federal minimum wage reform is needed, while labor advocates describe the situation as a form of corporate cost‑shifting onto taxpayers.
See "Workers at top 20 US low-wage firms rely on public assistance, report says", Michael Sainato, The Guardian, March 4, 2026