Taken for a Ride: Poverty and Food Insecurity Among Workers at Universal Studios Hollywood

While Universal Studios receives millions of dollars in government subsidies, it pays minimum wage to most of the 6,000 workers at its Universal Studios Hollywood theme park, resulting in widespread food and housing insecurity, including hunger and homelessness. These workers struggle to afford childcare, transportation, and healthcare. This report recommends that local or state policymakers raise the minimum wage for workers and institute a surcharge to pay for workforce housing for theme park and related industry workers. Additionally, governments should require onsite childcare for theme parks and condition tax subsidies for theme parks and studios on payment of fair wages and benefits to service workers.