Archive for January, 2012

Prostitution and human trafficking flourish in many of St. Louis’ upscale hotels.  Some victims are illegal immigrants, but most cases involve minors and young adults—many as young as 14–from across class and geographic lines.  Activists are pressuring hotels to sign a code of conduct pledging to protect children from trafficking, and many organizations refuse... »

This study compares household incomes of families headed by older adults (65-plus) with those headed by their younger counterparts (35 and under).  Trends show that since 1984, the households with older adults have seen a significant jump in income, while younger households have been declining. This trend of older households making larger gains is... »

The population of homeless veterans declined 12 percent last year, thanks to unprecedented efforts by federal agencies and federally-funded community service programs.  Now more veterans are able to receive housing, counseling, transportation, and job opportunities than in recent years.  However, officials worry that budget cuts and lack of willpower could impede efforts to sustain... »

From 1999 to 2009, the output of U.S. factories rose by about one-third, while one in three factory jobs disappeared.  The advent of globalization and computer-aided productivity dramatically transformed the U.S. job market: the rewards for the skilled have grown, but the opportunities for the unskilled have dwindled. The resulting job crisis and income... »

Homeless veterans have numerous health problems previously categorized in four major subgroups; addiction, psychosis, vascular disorders, and generalized medical and psychiatric illness. This paper looks at comorbid conditions, often involving a combination of psychiatric and medical disorders, and concludes that the health status of homeless veterans is a complex condition, but has a clear... »

This article examines the political and economic community dynamics of the street homeless and other groups involved in conflicts over urban renewal. Since the postwar suburban flight, homeless people have lived largely in vacated city centers. Now, “not-in-my-backyard” battles over the homeless are increasingly common, as the return of comfortably housed residents brings suburban... »

Debates about poverty remain conspicuously absent from campaign agendas; those politicians who do discuss poverty remain vague and ideological in their comments. The government’s retreat from difficult issues does not restore social institutions to health.  Rather, both sides of the political divide should realize the country needs specific plans to produce specific improvements in... »

A record percentage of the nation’s work stoppages consist of lockouts. Once a rare and aggressive move, lockouts have become more common as negotiations between labor unions and employers reach deadlock. Locked-out employees find themselves suddenly without income, leading to utility disconnections and even foreclosures. Some believe employers are attempting to break unions, but... »

Wall Street’s big banks disclosed the bonuses their chiefs will receive in addition to their base income for 2011.  Although top banks all suffered dramatic falls in their stock value this year, their executives will be rewarded with hefty bonuses, raising their earnings to over $27 million at Citigroup, $23 million at JPMorgan, and $9.7... »

Despite the 200,000 jobs added nationally in December, unemployment rates have only changed 0.3 percent in the last year and the U.S. still needs 10 million jobs to return to full employment.  Furthermore, many more Americans work part-time involuntarily or have given up searching for work, and record numbers suffer long-term unemployment. Without dramatic changes,... »