You cannot walk down the streets of Flushing, Queens, without running into at least a handful of people handing out flyers.
In fact, advertisers will blatantly shove these random pieces of paper into your hands without your consent. Every time I visit the area, I always come home with pocketfuls, promoting anything from language classes to newly-opened beauty salons.
How much do the flyer pushers even get paid?
A lot of the people handing out flyers are older. Even when it is freezing outside, you can find them standing on the sidewalk. I learned that a lot of employers will pay an hourly minimum wage. Alternatively, employees might also get paid on a per-flyer basis — usually 10 cents per flyer given away. If the person handing out the paper is particularly aggressive, I always assume they are being paid in the latter manner.
Of course, these numbers aren’t set in stone. A few people I’ve talked with have actually been paid $20 per hour per shift. Interestingly enough, they were all English speaking young adults and none of them thought the payment was worth the invested labor. According to them, it’s degrading for people to walk right past as they are trying to hand out the advertisements.
Even so, flyers seem to be the most effective way of advertising in Flushing. The primary area of activity is on Main Street where there is the highest level of foot traffic.
