More jobs isn’t the same thing as better jobs.

This past year, the job market has been in a bit of a multifaceted state. Job creation is actually doing quite well; there are lots of available positions in all kinds of vocations, and in the event someone were to lose their job for one reason or another, it shouldn’t be too difficult to find another. Unemployment has definitely been low lately, and that is a good thing, but it doesn’t present the entire picture.

Though there are plenty of jobs to go around, the jobs that are available aren’t anything special. Additional jobs don’t really mean anything to working-class families who just need one or two jobs to make ends meet, and in some cases, one or two jobs, even full-time or heavy part-time ones, aren’t cutting it. There’s plenty of job security, but the jobs themselves are paying peanuts.

Last June, hourly workers only received a six cent pay increase to their wages. Part of the reason there are so many jobs available is that a lot of them pay minimum wage (or occasionally worse), and it has been proven multiple times over that a family can’t live on minimum wage. There are more positions available then there are workers who want them. This is especially unusual when compared to salaries of high-ranking employees and CEOs in larger companies, who regularly make six figures at least.

Unemployment may be down around the country, but just because everyone has a job doesn’t mean everyone is happy. The cost of living and owning property continues to rise, and if hourly wages don’t rise along with them, many workers may find themselves unable to care for their families, or worse, keep a roof over their heads.