Why We’re Not Hiring (Yet): A Love Letter to Living Wages 💕

Here’s the deal: FMC Books isn’t hiring right now—and that’s not because we don’t need help (believe us, we do). It’s because we believe deeply in paying people what they’re worth. And right now? The only form of payment we can responsibly offer is books.

Anyone you see helping out at FMC Books is here because they believe in the mission. They’re reading-obsessed ride-or-dies who are being paid in paperbacks. And we won’t bring on paid staff until we can do so in a way that’s sustainable and ethical—not just for this month, but for the long haul.

What Is a Living Wage?

A living wage is the minimum income necessary for a worker to meet their basic needs—housing, food, healthcare, childcare, transportation—without public or private assistance. Unlike the minimum wage, which is set by law, the living wage reflects the actual cost of living in a specific community.

According to the MIT Living Wage Calculator, here’s what that looks like in Missoula County in 2025:

Single adult, no kids: $22.32/hr

Single adult, one child: $40.37/hr

Two working adults, two kids: $28.24/hr per adult

Meanwhile, Montana’s minimum wage is $10.55/hr. The math doesn’t add up—and neither does the morality of ignoring it.

Why This Matters in Missoula

Missoula is a small-business town. Most employers have fewer than 20 staff, and many of them (like us) are bootstrapping their way through economic realities. But that’s not an excuse to undervalue people. It’s a challenge we’re committed to facing head-on.

Some larger employers and nonprofits in town are beginning to step up, and we look forward to joining them. But until FMC Books can afford to pay at least a living wage—and do so without jeopardizing the business—we’re staying small.

Our Commitment: A 3:1 Ethical Wage Ratio

When we do hire, we’ll also be capping internal pay disparity. That means no one at FMC Books will make more than three times what anyone else makes, no matter the role.

Why? Because solidarity matters. Because no CEO needs 300x the paycheck of the person running the register. Because we’re building something better.

So What Now?

Now, we keep growing. We build the foundation strong so we can welcome our future team into something solid, respectful, and fair. And when that moment comes, we’ll be loud and proud about it.

In the meantime, thank you for showing up, cheering us on, and shopping small. Every book you buy gets us one step closer to being the kind of employer Missoula (and romance readers everywhere) deserve. 💕