Labor & Economic News - Institute for Research on Labor & Employment Library

The America the Recovery Never Reached

noreply@blogger.com (IRLE's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog) — Thu, 25 Feb 2016 20:44:00 +0000

The America the Recovery Never Reached

As the most prosperous U.S. communities have gotten richer since the end of the recession in 2009, economic conditions in many distressed areas have deteriorated even further.

When a State Balks at a City’s Minimum Wage

noreply@blogger.com (IRLE's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog) — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 18:05:00 +0000

When a State Balks at a City’s Minimum Wage

Veronica Roscoe, who earns $7.75 an hour working at a Burger King here, thought last August that she had won: This city had become the first in the South to approve a local minimum wage.“It was, ‘Wow, victory,’ “ Ms. Roscoe, 55, said. “I was running around the job, acting a fool.” But that was before the Alabama Legislature met, and before a showdown between state lawmakers and city leaders about who should have the authority to set wage policy in Birmingham

U.S. Economy Still on the Rise, White House Report Finds

noreply@blogger.com (IRLE's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog) — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 18:04:00 +0000

U.S. Economy Still on the Rise, White House Report Finds

Report of the President gave the administration a chance to take credit for the recovery.

The Economic Report of the President highlighted growing wages, shrinking unemployment and higher consumer confidence.

Bridging a Digital Divide That Leaves Schoolchildren Behind

noreply@blogger.com (IRLE's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog) — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 17:53:00 +0000

Bridging a Digital Divide That Leaves Schoolchildren Behind

The Federal Communications Commission is expected to vote soon on a plan that could add subsidies for broadband Internet services in low-income homes.

How Society Pays for Women’s Unpaid Work

noreply@blogger.com (IRLE's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog) — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 17:52:00 +0000

How Society Pays for Women’s Unpaid Work

The unpaid work of women helps households and societies run smoother. But it also has a hidden, or not so hidden, cost.

Too poor to retire and too young to die: More of America's elderly are struggling to survive

noreply@blogger.com (IRLE's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog) — Fri, 29 Jan 2016 19:51:00 +0000

Too poor to retire and too young to die: More of America's elderly are struggling to survive

Nearly one-third of U.S. heads of households ages 55 and older have no pension or retirement savings and a median annual income of about $19,000.

Improving Economic Security by Strengthening and Modernizing the Unemployment Insurance System.

noreply@blogger.com (IRLE's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog) — Wed, 20 Jan 2016 22:28:00 +0000

▶ 2:54

Improving Economic Security by Strengthening and Modernizing the Unemployment Insurance System.
In this week's address, the President spoke about the steps we need to take to modernize our unemployment insurance system. Our country has come a long way in the past seven years, with more than 14 million jobs created, and the unemployment rate cut in half. But, as our economy continues to change, there are still steps we need to take to ensure all Americans have the security and opportunity they deserve. In his address, the President laid out his plan to help more hardworking Americans get unemployment insurance, find a new job, and have some assurance that even if a new job pays less than their old one they will have some help paying the bills. These ideas are part of the President’s broader belief that everybody who works hard deserves their fair shot and the chance to get ahead.

Electing to Ignore the Poorest of the Poor

noreply@blogger.com (IRLE's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog) — Mon, 23 Nov 2015 18:40:00 +0000

Electing to Ignore the Poorest of the Poor

Selective government assistance programs have left behind the persistently poor, an issue that has not been addressed in the presidential election season.

Half of New Yorkers Say They Are Barely or Not Getting By, Poll Shows

noreply@blogger.com (IRLE's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog) — Mon, 23 Nov 2015 18:39:00 +0000

Half of New Yorkers Say They Are Barely or Not Getting By, Poll Shows

The survey showed great differences in perceptions of the quality of life in the city’s five boroughs, but it found that economic anxiety was widespread.

Urban Charter Schools Often Succeed. Suburban Ones Often Don’t.

noreply@blogger.com (IRLE's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog) — Mon, 23 Nov 2015 18:38:00 +0000

Urban Charter Schools Often Succeed. Suburban Ones Often Don’t.

Studies show the schools benefit poor, nonwhite students in cities, but in suburbs they do no better than public schools, and sometimes worse.

Rosy jobs numbers blind us to the bleak reality of the 'real economy'

noreply@blogger.com (IRLE's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog) — Mon, 23 Nov 2015 18:36:00 +0000

Rosy jobs numbers blind us to the bleak reality of the 'real economy'

When you see news that unemployment in California has dipped to 5.8%, said Chris Hoene of the California Budget & Policy Center, it's not as rosy as it sounds. "There are more and more sectors in which people are being paid less than they were before … or they're having to work several jobs," said Hoene.

For Artfully ‘Worn’ Jeans, Technology Replaces Labor

noreply@blogger.com (IRLE's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog) — Mon, 23 Nov 2015 18:01:00 +0000

For Artfully ‘Worn’ Jeans, Technology Replaces Labor

Levi Strauss & Co.now uses an awful lot of design and technology to produce beat-up pants that command higher prices and margins. Technology is not only replacing ever-more-expensive labor but ever-more-busy consumers who don’t have the time to break in their jeans.

Robots Take on More-Elaborate Tasks

noreply@blogger.com (IRLE's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog) — Mon, 23 Nov 2015 18:01:00 +0000

Robots Take on More-Elaborate Tasks

In a former kitchen-cabinet workshop here, a dozen engineers are creating robots to sew garments and rugs—tasks usually relegated to low-wage workers in distant countries.

The Argument for a 70% Pay Raise for Women

noreply@blogger.com (IRLE's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog) — Mon, 23 Nov 2015 17:55:00 +0000

The Argument for a 70% Pay Raise for Women

The left-leaning Economic Policy Institute finds a 71% “gender and inequality wage gap.

Mobility Is More Important Than Ever, and Here’s Who’s Missing Out

noreply@blogger.com (IRLE's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog) — Mon, 23 Nov 2015 17:49:00 +0000

Mobility Is More Important Than Ever, and Here’s Who’s Missing Out

A new report shows that residential mobility has been largely stable in recent decades, but has declined for African-Americans, even as the link between moving and economic mobility grows stronger

The Nationwide Nursing Shortage

noreply@blogger.com (IRLE's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog) — Mon, 23 Nov 2015 17:44:00 +0000

The Nationwide Nursing Shortage

Usually, in a relatively free market, labor-supply shortages resolve themselves over time. Why has this not been the case with nursing in the U.S.?

Working-Class Voters Hold Key to 2016

noreply@blogger.com (IRLE's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog) — Mon, 23 Nov 2015 17:10:00 +0000

Working-Class Voters Hold Key to 2016

To win in 2016, candidates in both parties must capture working class voters of all stripes.

Employer Political Coercion: A Growing Threat

noreply@blogger.com (IRLE's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog) — Mon, 23 Nov 2015 17:08:00 +0000

Employer Political Coercion: A Growing Threat

Since Citizens United, companies can legally require workers to participate in politics—and fire them if they refuse.

noreply@blogger.com (IRLE's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog) — Mon, 23 Nov 2015 17:04:00 +0000

The Missing Black Students at Elite American Universities

Over the past 20 years, black enrollment in colleges and universities has skyrocketed. It’s a huge success story, one that’s due to the hard work of black families, college admissions officers, and education advocates. But at top-tier universities in the United States, it’s a different story. There, the share of students who are black has actually dropped since 1994.

The Accounting Rules That Bankrupt Cities

noreply@blogger.com (IRLE's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog) — Mon, 23 Nov 2015 16:59:00 +0000

The Accounting Rules That Bankrupt Cities

In November 2014, a Michigan bankruptcy judge confirmed a plan that allowed Detroit’s government to shed $7 billion in liabilities, averting a total financial collapse. One year later, however, many in Detroit are still dealing with the fallout of the massive debt reorganization.

America's poorest towns

noreply@blogger.com (IRLE's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog) — Thu, 19 Nov 2015 18:36:00 +0000

America's poorest towns

n a series of four dispatches, Chris McGreal reports from four of the poorest towns in the USA - in Kentucky, Mississippi, Texas and Arizona - and meets those trying to do more than survive in places so remote from the American Dream.

We Live Longer. That’s Great, Except for Social Security.

noreply@blogger.com (IRLE's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog) — Tue, 17 Nov 2015 19:00:00 +0000

We Live Longer. That’s Great, Except for Social Security

Despite the political challenges, fixing Social Security is rather simple: Take more money in, send less money out, or both.

Why the LAFD is still largely white and male despite diversity efforts

noreply@blogger.com (IRLE's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog) — Tue, 17 Nov 2015 18:57:00 +0000

Why the LAFD is still largely white and male despite diversity efforts

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti's overhaul of how the city hires new firefighters - launched 16 months ago amid allegations of nepotism and bias - has so far failed to meet his aim of diversifying the LAFD and may require further reforms to succeed, according to interviews with city officials and a Times analysis of government data.

An LAPD employee program costs the city millions, and there isn't a reliable way to track it

noreply@blogger.com (IRLE's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog) — Tue, 17 Nov 2015 18:56:00 +0000

An LAPD employee program costs the city millions, and there isn't a reliable way to track it

The Los Angeles Police Department has no reliable way to track employees on extended injury leave, a program that pays officers 100% of salary, tax-free, for up to a year and costs the city tens of millions of dollars annually.

CalPERS may lower investment expectations, costing taxpayers billions

noreply@blogger.com (IRLE's Labor, Work, Economics News Blog) — Tue, 17 Nov 2015 18:55:00 +0000

CalPERS may lower investment expectations, costing taxpayers billions

Experts have warned for years that the state's largest public pension plan has overestimated how much its investments will earn, leaving taxpayers to pay billions of dollars more than expected.