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The Economic Well-Being of Low-Income Working Families
March 2002 · Dr. John P. Formby - University of Alabama, Dr. John A. Bishop - East Carolina University, Mr. Hoseong Kim - University of Alabama ·
Who is poor in America? Beginning in the late 1960s, the federal government has tried to answer that question with an annual poverty count. Politicians and pundits alike await the government’s numbers, now published each September. The shape of the September numbers and the interpretive stories accompanying their release frequently affect the election debate in November. Although most people recognize that poverty measurement is subjective and not… -
The Case for a Targeted Living Wage Subsidy
July 2001 · Employment Policies Institute ·
The living wage movement has been successful in promoting ordinances at the city or county level that would mandate covered businesses to pay wages much higher than the effective state or local minimum wage. At least 60 local governments have adopted some type of living wage mandate legislation. A typical ordinance requires contractors and businesses receiving governmental financial assistance to pay a minimum wage ranging from 150… -
Living Wage Policy: The Basics
August 2000 · Employment Policies Institute ·
The “living wage” movement has captured the hearts of many policy makers. Unfortunately, their minds have lagged dangerously behind. Thrust into the public forum by the AFL-CIO, the New Party and the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), the living wage move-ment is now being debated and has been adopted in dozens of cities and counties across the nation. More often than not, lawmakers are… -
The Living Wage: Survey of Labor Economists
August 2000 · Employment Policies Institute ·
The 2000 Living Wage Survey was conducted by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center for the Employment Policies Institute in February and March, 2000. Three hundred thirty-six (336) labor economists in the United States completed mail questionnaires for the survey. A list of economists was obtained from the American Economic Association (AEA) and consisted of all AEA members who indicated that their primary or secondary area… -
The Employment Impact of a Comprehensive Living Wage Law, Evidence from California
July 1999 · Employment Policies Institute ·
Introduction The concept of a “living wage” is rapidly gaining support in city councils and county governments across the nation. In most areas, the idea behind this movement is that contractors who receive public funds as payment for their services should in turn be required to pay wage rates of at least $7.50 to $14.50 per hour — rates that are far higher than the federal minimum… -
Economic Analysis of a Living Wage Ordinance
July 1999 · George Tolley - University of Chicago, Peter Bernstein - DePaul University, Michael Lesage - RCF Economic & Financial Consulting ·
“If you get all the facts, your judgement can be right; if you don’t get all the facts, it can’t be right.” — Bernard Baruch Decisions made without proper information risk serious consequences. Nowhere is this more true than in public policy. Nonetheless, city councils across the country are now making decisions on one of the hottest public policy concepts in memory — the “living wage” —…