As in any other playoff, candidate rhetoric let loose during the U.S. presidential race can be tough. We’ve held a front row seat to the 2012 showdown for over a year, with tensions still rising as the general election looms nearer. Some of the barbs launched along the campaign trail have been laughable: Newt Gingrich’s television ad incriminating Mitt Romney for his ability to speak French comes to mind. Others are not. The dialogue surrounding U.S. poverty and inequality, two issues that are hotter than ever during a deep recession that the nation has shown incapable of simply shaking off [...]
work place
Federal funds to train jobless are drying up
Work force centers nationwide that assist the unemployed struggle to provide job training and other services as federal funds dwindle. The country currently spends less on work force training than it did when jobs were more abundant, but cuts in funding for training have run the political gantlet with little notice. Without funding, work force... »
Resisting exploitation of restaurant workers
Waitstaff at restaurants often find their wages dictated by employer exploitation and customer whims. Under the tipped minimum wage system, they can legally make as little as $2.13 an hour and hope that tips will bring them up to minimum wage. Often this does not happen, and some employers further skim a portion of tips for... »
Lack of public transportation impedes employment
Lack of public transportation is a major roadblock to finding or keeping employment for residents of rural Washington County, Washington. Many low-income families struggle to remain employed without reliable transportation: bus routes are limited, and many must rely upon their own, often balky, cars. Inequitable funding exacerbates these challenges, as social service agencies in cities get... »
Saving the middle class
OPINION: U.S. productivity has nearly doubled in a generation, yet the workers who once earned decent wages for their contribution to the nation’s output are now working equally hard for lower incomes. The problem is that the fruits of increased productivity have gone to the wrong people. Labor unions should be one agent of... »
Lockouts put workers on the defensive
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... »
Black Feminization of Poverty: Evidence From the U.S. Cross-Regional Data
This study explores the feminization of poverty among black women—despite their much improved labor market advantages—compared with white women and black men. Black women generally possess comparable human capital and work ethic characteristics, and face comparable unemployment rates. But they have higher poverty rates. The study suggests the importance of socioeconomic factors, such as... »