News

Research Archive: Workers and Job Quality, 2004-2013

Posted on

Not Enough Hours in the Day: Work-Hour Insecurity and a New Approach to Wage and Hour Regulation

Charlotte Alexander, Anna Haley-Lock, Institute for Research on Poverty, December 2013


Raising the Federal Minimum Wage to $10.10 Would Lift Wages for Millions and Provide a Modest Economic Boost

David Cooper, Economic Policy Institute, December 2013

Obamacare and a Minimum Wage Hike Pricing Many Unskilled Workers Out of Their Jobs

James Sherk and Patrick Tyrrell, The Heritage Foundation, November 2013

Employed Family Caregivers Providing Complex Chronic Care

Susan C. Reinhard, Carol Levine, and Sarah Samis,, AARP Public Policy Institute, November 2013

Super-Sizing Public Costs: How Low Wages at Top Fast-Food Chains Leave Taxpayers Footing the Bill

National Employment Law Project, October 2013

Fast Food, Poverty Wages: The Public Cost of Low-Wage Jobs in the Fast-Food Industry

Sylvia Allegretto, Marc Doussard, Dave Graham-Squire, Ken Jacobs, Dan Thompson and Jeremy Thompson, UC-Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education, October 2013

Beyond the Low Wage Social Contract

Joshua Freedman and Michael Lind, New America Foundation, September 2013

To Work With Dignity: The Unfinished March Toward a Decent Minimum Wage
Sylvia A. Allegretto and Steven C. Pitts, Economic Policy Institute, August 2013

Nonstandard Work Schedules and the Well-being of Low-Income Families

Maria E. Enchautegui, The Urban Institute, July 2013


Retirement Prospects for the Racially and Ethnically Diverse Older Adult Labor Force

The Sloan Center on Aging & Work, Boston College, July 2013


Going Nowhere Fast: Limited Occupational Mobility in the Fast Food Industry

National Employment Law Project, July 2013

Wanting More but Working Less: Involuntary Part-Time Employment and Economic Vulnerability

Rebecca Glauber, Carsey Institute, July 2013

The Economic Benefits of Fixing Our Broken Immigration System

The White House, July 2013

Has Education Paid Off for Black Workers?

Janelle Jones and John Schmitt, Center for Economic and Policy Research, June 2013

Keeping Up with the Times: Supporting Family Caregivers with Workplace Leave Policies

Lynn Feinberg, AARP Public Policy Institute, June 2013

Who Would Be Affected by a New Minimum Wage Policy?

Jessica A. Carson, Carsey Institute, June 2013

A Broken Bargain: Discrimination, Fewer Benefits and More Taxes for LGBT Workers

Center for American Progress, the Movement Advancement Project and the Human Rights Campaign, June 2013

The Class of 2013: Young Graduates Still Face Dim Job Prospects

Heidi Shierholz, Natalie Sabadish and Nicholas Finio , Economic Policy Institute, April 2013


Maternity, Paternity, and Adoption Leave in the United States

Institute for Women’s Policy Research, May 2013

The Class of 2013: Young Graduates Still Face Dim Job Prospects

Heidi Shierholz, Natalie Sabadish and Nicholas Finio , Economic Policy Institute, April 2013


How Pay Equity Hurts Women of Color

Sophia Kerby, Center for American Progress, April 2013


A Profile of the Working Poor, 2011

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, April 2013


America’s Lower-Wage Workforce: Employer and Worker Perspectives

The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, March 2013


Discredited: How Employment Credit Checks Keep Qualified Workers Out of a Job

Amy Traub, Demos, March 2013

Close to Slavery: Guestworker Programs in the United States

Southern Poverty Law Center, February 2013

Who Earns the Minimum Wage? Suburban Teenages, Not Single Parents

James Sherk, The Heritage Foundation, February 2013

Declining Value of the Federal Minimum Wage is a Major Factor Driving Inequality

Lawrence Mishel, Economic Policy Institute, February 2013

100 Days for America’s Workers

National Employment Law Project, December 2012

How Youth Are Put At Risk by Parents’ Low-Wage Job

Lisa Dodson, Randy Albelda,Diana Salas Coronado and Marya Mtshali, Center for Social Policy at the University of Massachusetts-Boston, Fall 2012

Retail’s Hidden Potential: How Raising Wages Would Benefit Workers, the Industry and the Economy Overall

Catherine Ruetschlin , Dēmos, November 2012

Underemployment in Urban and Rural America, 2005-2012

Justin R. Young, Carsey Institute, November 2012

Building a Competitive Future Right from the Start: How Paid Leave Strengthens 21st Century Families

Susan Ochshorn and Curtis Skinner, National Center for Children in Poverty, September 2012

The State of Working America, 12th Edition

Lawrence Mishel, Josh Bivens, Elise Gould and Heidi Shierholz, Economic Policy Institute, September 2012

Paid Sick Days: Paid Sick Days Work for U.S. Employees and Employers

Jane Farrell and Joanna Venator, Center for American Progress, August 2012

Paid Family and Medical Leave: Updated Labor Standards Could Help U.S. Workers Make Ends Meet

Jane Farrell and Joanna Venator, Center for American Progress, August 2012

Child Care: Families Need More Help to Care for Their Children

Sarah Jane Glynn, Center for American Progress, August 2012

Workplace Flexibility: Allowing Employees Some Leeway Is Good for Businesses and the Economy

Sarah Jane Glynn and Joanna Venator, Center for American Progress, August 2012

The Wage Gap for Women: The Consequences of Workplace Pay Inequity for Women in America

Sarah Jane Glynn, Center for American Progress, August 2012

New Minimum Wage Bills Would Accelerate Recovery and Improve Job Quality

National Employment Law Project, August 2012

Where Theft is Legal: Mapping Wage Theft Laws in the 50 States

Tim Judson and Cristina Francisco-McGuire, Progressive States Network, June 2012

Who Cares for the Sick Kids? Parents’ Access to Paid Time to Care for a Sick Child

Andrew Schaefer and Kristin Smith, Carsey Institute, June 2012

Expecting Better: A State-by-State Analysis of Laws That Help New Parents

National Partnership for Women and Families, May 2012

The Class of 2012: Labor Market of Young Graduates Remains Grim

Heidi Shierholz, Natalie Sabadish and Hilary Wething, Economic Policy Institute, May 2012

The Future of Work: Trends and Challenges for Low-Wage Workers

Rebecca Thiess, Economic Policy Institute, April 2012

The Effects of Paid Family and Medical Leave on Employment Stability and Economic Security

Heather Boushey and Sarah Jane Glynn, Center for American Progress, April 2012

Protecting Workers and Their Families with Paid Family Leave and Caregiving Credits

Anne O’Leary, Center for American Progress, April 2012

Entry-Level Workers’ Wages Fell in Lost Decade

Lawrence Mishel, Economic Policy Institute, March 2012

Low-wage Workers Are Older and Better Educated than Ever

John Schmitt and Janelle Jones, Center for Economic and Policy Research, March 2012

Affording Health Care and Education on the Minimum

John Schmitt and Marie-Eve Augier, Center for Economic and Policy Research, March 2012

The Minimum Wage is Too Damn Low

John Schmitt, Center for Economic and Policy Research, March 2012

Tipped Over the Edge: Gender Inequity in the Restaurant Industry

Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, February 2012

It’s So Hard to Get Good Help

Dean Baker, Center for Economic and Policy Research, February 2012

Economic Circumstances of Individuals Who Exhausted Benefits

U.S. Government Accountability Office, February 2012

Lack of Protections for Home Care Workers: Overtime Pay and Minimum Wage

Kristin Smith, Carsey Institute, February 2012

Low-wage Lessons

John Schmitt, Center for Economic and Policy Research, January 2012

Winning Wage Justice: Talking Points on the Need for Stronger Anti-Wage Theft Laws

National Employment Law Project, January 2012

Winning Wage Justice: A Summary of Research on Wage and Hour Violations in the United States

National Employment Law Project, January 2012

Winning Wage Justice: Choosing the Policy Options Right for Your Community

National Employment Law Project, January 2012

Farm Workers and Immigration Policy

Andrew Wainer, Bread for the World Institute, December 2011


Overlooked and Underpaid: Number of Low-Income Working Families Increases to 10.2 Million

Brandon Roberts, Deborah Povich and Mark Mather, The Working Poor Families Project,
Winter 2011-2012

Do Low-Income Workers Benefit from 401 (k) Plans?

Eric Toder and Karen E. Smith, Urban Institute, December 2011

Diners’ Guide 2012: A Consumer Guide on the Working Conditions of American Restaurants

Scott Lilly, Restaurant Opportunities Center United, December 2011

Creating Unemployment: How Congressional Budget Decisions are Putting Americans out of Work and Increasing the Risk of a Second Recession

Scott Lilly, Center for American Progress, October 2011

Worth Working For: Strategies for Turning Bad Jobs into Quality Employment

Ben Peck and Amy Traub, Dēmos, October 2011

Losing Middle America: Understanding Job Polarization and Wage Inequality

Lauren Damme, New America Foundation, October 2011

Where It Really Hurts: Job Losses for Low-Skill Workers by State

Josh Mitchell, Urban Institute, October 2011

Work-Family Conflict: Look to Employers and Communities for Solutions

Ron Haskins, Jane Waldfogel and Sara McLanahan, The Future of Children, Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University and The Brookings Institution, Fall 2011

The Future of Children Journal: Work and Family

The Future of Children, Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University and The Brookings Institution, V. 21 No. 2, Fall 2011

Losing Middle America: From Job Polarization to Wage Inequality

Lauren Damme and Shayne Henry, New America Foundation, September 2011

Losing Middle America: The Polarization of Jobs in the United States

Lauren Damme and Shayne Henry, New America Foundation, September 2011

Improving Job Quality: Direct Care Workers in the U.S.

Eileen Appelbaum and Carrie Leana, Center for Economic Policy Research, September 2011

Less-Educated Continue to Lose Jobs in Recovery-Even in Low-Wage Industries

Pamela J. Loprest and Austin Nichols, Urban Institute, August 2011

First to Fall, Last to Climb: Black Workers in the New Economy

Women of Color Policy Network, NYU Wagner School of Public Service, August 2011

Informal and Nonstandard Employment in the United States: Implications for Low-Income Working Families

Demetra Smith Nightingale and Stephen Wandner, Urban Institute, August 2011

The Low Wages of Black Immigrants: Wage Penalties for U.S.-Born and Foreign-Born Black Workers

Patrick L. Mason and Algernon Austin, Economic Policy Institute, August 2011

Rural Workers Have Less Access to Paid Sick Days

Kristin Smith and Andrew Schaefer, Carsey Institute, July 2011


The Need for Paid Sick Days

Elise Gould, Kai Filion and Andrew Green, Economic Policy Institute,
June 2011

Work Sharing: Effective in Keeping Workers Attached to the Labor Market

Shayne Henry, New America Foundation, June 2011

Work Sharing: The Quick Route Back to Full Employment

Dean Baker, Center for Economic and Policy Research, June 2011

Pay Secrecy and Wage Discrimination

Institute for Women’s Policy Research, June 2011

A Future of Low-Paying, Low-Skill Jobs?

Lauren Damme, New America Foundation, May 2011

Inventory of Farmworkers Issues and Protections

Bon Appetit Management Company Foundation and United Farm Workers,
April 2011

A Profile of Young Workers (16–26) in Low-Income Families

Melinda M. Tamkins, James T. Bond, Kenneth Matos and Ellen Galinsky, Corporate Voices for Working Families, April 2011

The Gender Wage Gap: 2010

Institute for Women’s Policy Research, April 2011


’Right-to-Work’ Wrong for New Hampshire

Gordon Lafer, Economic Policy Institute, April 2011


Paid Family Leave: What Could a Federal Paid Leave Insurance Program Look Like?

Lauren Damme, New America Foundation, April 2011


Poor, Pregnant, and Fired: Caregiver Discrimination Against Low-Wage Workers

Stephanie Bornstein, Center for WorkLife Law at the University of California, Hastings College of Law, March 2011


States Lead the Way: Paid Family Leave in California

Lauren Damme, New America Foundation, March 2011


The Sad But True Story of Wages in America

Lawrence Mishel and Heidi Shierholz, Economic Policy Institute, March 2011


Paid Family Leave: Among Developed Societies, The U.S. is an Outlier

Lauren Damme, New America Foundation, March 2011


Scheduling Hourly Workers: How Last Minute, “Just-In-Time” Scheduling Practices Are Bad for Workers, Families and Business

Nancy K. Cauthen, Dēmos, March 2011


Paid Family Leave: Why the Family and Medical Leave Act Fails to Meet the Needs of America’s Working Families

Lauren Damme, New America Foundation, March 2011


San Francisco’s Paid Sick Leave Ordinance: Outcomes for Employers and Employees

Robert Drago and Vicky Lovell, Institute for Women’s Policy Research
February 2011


Whiter Jobs, Higher Wages: Occupational Segregation and the Lower Wages of Black Men

Darrick Hamilton, Algernon Austin and William Darity, Jr.
Economic Policy Institute, February 2011


Waiting for Change: The $2.13 Federal Subminimum Wage

Sylvia A. Allegretto and Kai Filion,
Economic Policy Institute and the Center on Wage and Employment Dynamics, February 2011

Behind the Kitchen Door: The Social Impact of Inequality in Miami’s Growing Restaurant Industry

The Restaurant Opportunities Center of Miami, Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, and the Miami-Dade Restaurant Industry Coalition, February 2011

Behind the Kitchen Door: Inequality & Opportunity in Washington, D.C.’s Thriving Restaurant Industry

The Restaurant Opportunities Center of Washington, DC, Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, and the Washington, D.C. Restaurant Industry Coalition, February 2011

Behind the Kitchen Door: Inequality and Opportunity in Los Angeles, the Nation’s Largest Restaurant Industry

The Restaurant Opportunities Center of Los Angeles, Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, and the Los Angeles Restaurant Industry Coalition,
February 2011

The Compensation Penalty of ‘Right-to-Work’ Laws

Elise Gould and Heidi Shierholz, Economic Policy Institute, February 2011


Winning Wage Justice: An Advocate’s Guide to State and City Policies to Fight Wage Theft

National Employment Law Project, January 2011

36 Cents Short – Wage Gap in Sales and Related Occupations Highest of Any Sector

National Women’s Law Center, January 2011

Leaves That Pay: Employer and Worker Experiences With Paid Family Leave in California

Eileen Appelbaum and Ruth Milkman, Center for Economic and Policy Research, January 2011

44 Million U.S. Workers Lacked Paid Sick Days in 2010: 77 Percent of Food Service Workers Lacked Access

Institute for Women’s Policy Research, January 2011

Unity for Dignity: Expanding the Right to Organize to Win Human Rights at Work

Excluded Workers Congress, December 2010

The BIG RIG: Poverty, Pollution, and the Misclassification of Truck Drivers at America’s Ports

Rebecca Smith, Dr. David Bensman and Paul Alexander Marvy, National Employment Law Center and Change to Win, December 2010

Why a Domestic Workers Bill of Rights?

Lauren D. Appelbaum, UCLA Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, December 2010

Honoring the Work: Measure C Hotel Living Wage’s Impact on Workers in Emeryville

East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy, November 2010

Investigating Wage Theft: A Survey of the States (pdf)Injustice on Our Plates: Immigrant Women in the U.S. Food Industry

Southern Poverty Law Center, November 2010

Investigating Wage Theft: A Survey of the States (pdf)

Zach Schiller and Sarah DeCarlo,
Policy Matters Ohio, November 2010

Work Schedule Flexibility in Hourly Jobs: Unanticipated Consequences and Promising Directions (pdf)

Susan Lambert, Anna Haley-Lock and Julia Henly ,
working paper of the Work Scheduling Study, University of Chicago, June 2010

The Wage Penalty for State and Local Government Employees in New England (pdf)

Jeffrey Thompson and John Schmitt,
Political Economy Research Center and the Center for Economic and Policy Research, September 2010

Recession Hits Workers’ Paychecks: Wage growth has collapsed (pdf)

Lawrence Mishel and Heidi Shierholz,
Economic Policy Institute, August 2010

Where the Jobs Are: A First Look at Private Industry Job Growth and Wages in 2010 (pdf)

National Employment Law Project, August 2010

Public Attitudes towards and Experiences with Workplace Safety (pdf)

Tom W. Smith, National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago,
Public Welfare Foundation, August 2010

Bad Jobs in Goods Movement: Warehouse Work in Will County, Illinois (pdf)

Warehouse Workers for Justice, August 2010


The Vulnerable American Worker: Our Contingent Workforce Exposes Weaknesses in the American Social Contract (pdf)

Lauren Damme, Next Social Contract Initiative, New America Foundation, July 2010

Picked Apart: The Hidden Struggles of Migrant Worker Women in the Maryland Crab Industry (pdf)

Centro de los Derechos del Migrante and American University Washington College of Law, International Human Rights Law Clinic, Summer 2010

Fields of Peril: Child Labor in US Agriculture (pdf)

Zama Coursen-Neff, Human Rights Watch, May 2010

Just Pay: Improving Wage and Hour Enforcement at the United States Department of Labor (pdf)

National Employment Law Project for the Just Pay Working Group, April 2010

Wage Theft and Workplace Violations in Los Angeles: The Failure of Employment and Labor Law for Low-Wage Workers (pdf)

Ruth Milkman, Ana Luz Gonzalez and Victor Narro, Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, University of California, Los Angeles, January 2010

Working Without Laws: A Survey of Employment and Labor Law Violations in New York City (pdf)

Annette Bernhardt, Diana Polson and James DeFilippis, National Employment Law Project, January 2010

United States: The Employee Free Choice Act, A Human Rights Imperative

Human Rights Watch, January 2010

Unions and Upward Mobility for Asian Pacific American Workers

John Schmitt, Hye Jin Rho and Nicole Woo, Center for Economic and Policy Research, January 2010

The Unions of the States

John Schmitt, Center for Economic and Policy Research, November 2008

The Haves and Have-Nots: How American Labor Law Denies a Quarter of the Workforce Collective Bargaining Rights

American Rights at Work, November 2008

Why Unions Matter (pdf)

Interfaith Worker Justice, October 2008

Congressional Testimony — Department of Labor: Case Studies from Ongoing Work Show Examples in Which Wage and Hour Division Did Not Adequately Pursue Labor Violations

Gregory Kutz, Government Accountability Office, July 2008

Congressional Testimony — Fair Labor Standards Act: Better Use of Available Resources and Consistent Reporting Could Improve Compliance (pdf)

Anne-Marie Lasowski, Government Accountability Office, July 2008

Facts and Figures on Florida Farmworkers (pdf)

Coalition of Immokalee Workers, 2007

The National Agricultural Workers Survey

U.S. Department of Labor, 2006

Modern Day Slavery in U.S. Agriculture: Legal Failure and Corporate Complicity (pdf)

National Economic & Social Rights Initiative, September 2005

Fingers to the Bone: United States Failure to Protect Child Farmworkers

Lee Tucker, Human Rights Watch, January 2000

« Back to News