What would a real jobs program look like? The first in a series of ‘reconnection agenda’ posts.
“When it comes to helping low-income people climb out of poverty through work, Republicans have been using work requirements as public-benefit ‘termination traps,’ i.e., kicking/hassling people off Medicaid rolls when they allegedly don’t meet work requirements. This is counterproductive because most poor people who can work do work, as they must, given that their families cannot live on safety-net benefits alone. What often breaks their connection to the job market are disruptions to their child care, housing and health care (and not just poor people; lots of middle-income people face similar disruptions). Thus, part of a successful jobs program is strong work supports in these areas.”