More than Nickels and Dimes: A Cross-National Analysis of Working Poverty in Affluent Democracies
Society for the Study of Social Problems
Using the Luxembourg Income Study (2009), this article analyzes data from 18 affluent democracies to determine when an individual is considered working poor. The study demonstrates that working poverty does not simply mirror overall poverty and that there is greater cross-national variation in what’s considered working poverty than there is in overall poverty. The study examines four explanations for working poverty: demographics, economic performance, unified theory, and welfare generosity.