This research brief is from the Institute for Research on Poverty and provides information on how the needs of children can be met while parents are working. Over the past forty years, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of mothers employed, which has changed expectations for all mothers. While expectations for low-income families have changed as well, the need for work supports has increased. In particular, the funding for the Earned Income Tax Credit and child care subsidies has increased to support workers in the workplace and their families.

In 2005, the U.S. Census estimated that 37.0 million people, or 12.6 percent of the population, lived at or below the official poverty threshold. Additionally, 7.7 million were classified as “working poor,” who were at or below the poverty threshold and had worked 27 weeks in the past year. The Bureau of Labor Statistics authored this report on the demographics of the working poor from the 2005 Census data.

The National Center for Children in Poverty is conducting a project called Making “Work Supports” Work. The project is designed to promote policies to support low-wage workers in the workplace. Employment wages supplemented by government work support policies can help support families, and include the Earned Income Tax Credit, child care subsidies, health insurance, food stamps, and housing assistance. This brief provides an overview of the project, and offers data on how work supports can make a difference for low-income families.

President Bush's High Growth Job Training Initiative (HGJTI) is a national effort to encourage the development of market-driven strategies to address workforce challenges. This report, from the Urban Institute, provides an implementation study and evaluation assessment of the program for 20 HGJTI grantees.

This paper is through the Institute for Research on Poverty and reviews research on collateral costs and benefits of incarceration on earnings and employment. While the increase in incarceration over the past decades has generated social benefits, the author argues that the negative consequences for society are greater such as the large costs on employment associated with current levels of incarceration.

This paper is from the Economic Policy Institute and provides an overview of why work supports are needed to sustain working families in the United States. Work support benefits can help low-wage workers close the gap between earnings and expenses to support their families. Researchers provide an overview of existing work support programs and offer recommendations for enhancing such programs.

Over 70 percent of mothers are now in the labor force, and supporting parents in the workforce is crucial for both employers and families. Authors from the Urban Institute summarize what has been done for mitigating work-family tensions, such as paid parental/family leave, paid sick leave, workplace flexibility, child care assistance, and links to public programs. In conclusion, authors provide how supports can be expanded to support families.

Lack of employer-sponsored health insurance can affect the productivity of workers and the health of their families. This paper is from the Urban Institute and offers information on access to employer-sponsored health insurance. By evaluating low-income working families, with incomes below 200 percent of the poverty level, the researchers examine patterns of access for health insurance.

This issue brief, authored by Mathematica Policy Research, is the sixth in a series on workers with disabilities and provides information on the Demonstration to Maintain Independence and Employment (DMIE). The DMIE is a program funded through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and provides funds for States to develop, implement, and evaluate interventions to improve health care coverage and employment services for adults with potentially disabling conditions. Authors review the objectives of the DMIE and information on the Demonstration in four States, and conclude with next steps on disseminating the results from projects around the country.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics at the U.S. Department of Labor provided this data on the number of employed youth in the United States. From April to July 2007, the number of employed youth ages 16 to 24 years old increased by 2.3 million to 21.7 million. Unemployment among youth increased by 548,000 between April and July, which was a lower rise than in 2006.