Low-Wage Workers in the New Economy
ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Kazis, Richard / Miller, Marc S., PUBLISHER: Urban Institute Press, Since , welfare roles have dropped by more than 50 percent nationwide. More than half of these people -- about -- have moved into unsubsidized paid employment, yet the very success of welfare reform has brought another problem into stark relief: For many people, getting into work doesn't mean getting out of poverty. People who leave welfare typically find a job paying between $6 and $8 per hour, well below the income needed to bring their families above the poverty line. In this collection of original essays, an impressive line-up of experts explores how our nation can help these and all working Americans pull themselves out of poverty through work. They describe the extent and contours of the challenge facing our nation's working poor. They draw lessons from practice and policy about promising approaches to helping low-wage workers advance into the economic mainstream. And they recommend both principles and specific policy interventions for state and federal policymakers.