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Trends in the Low-Wage Immigrant Labor Force, 2000-2005. By Randy Capps, the Urban Institute, and others. (The Institute, Washington, DC) March 2007. 9 p.

Full Text at: www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/411426_Low-Wage_Immigrant_Labor.pdf

["As Congress debates the fate of more than 10 million unauthorized immigrants living in the United States, their impact on the U.S. low-skilled labor force is an important consideration. In 2005, immigrants overall represented more than a fifth of low-wage workers—those earning less than twice the minimum wage—and almost half of workers without a high school education. Unauthorized workers were nearly a tenth of low-wage workers and a quarter of low-skilled workers. The number of low-wage and low-skilled native-born workers fell between 2000 and 2005, due to improvements in their educational attainment but also due to decreasing labor force participation. This report describes recent trends in the immigrant labor force and their implications for the U.S. economy."]

[Request #S72011]

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California Jobs Have Shifted Inland. By Alissa Anderson Garcia, California Budget Project. Policy Points. (The Project, Sacramento, California) January 2007. 5 p.

Full Text at: www.cbp.org/pdfs/2007/0701_pp_inlandcoastal.pdf

["This study shows that job growth in inland counties was nearly five times larger than that of coastal counties between 1990 and 2005. In fact, inland counties contributed more than half of the state’s job growth over this 15-year period. In addition, inland county job growth exceeded that of coastal counties in nearly every major sector of the economy. This Policy Points includes data showing job growth by county."]

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The Impact of Increased Energy Costs on Businesses and Jobs. By Roger Bezdek, Management Information Services. (Americans for Balanced Energy Choices, Alexandria, California) November 2006. 38 p.

Full Text at: www.balancedenergy.org/docs/ABEC%20Media%20Room%20Docs/Business_Energy_Costs_Study.pdf

["This study shows that over the past ten years, states with lower business energy costs grew 25 percent faster and created 60 percent more jobs than states with higher business energy costs.... Twenty states were included and analyzed according to energy prices, unemployment, and extended mass layoffs. The states included in the study, ranked from highest to lowest, were: Hawaii, California, Vermont, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Florida, North Carolina, Alabama, Utah, Kentucky, Texas, West Virginia, Indiana, Louisiana, Wyoming and Alaska."]

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Work Experience of the Population in 2005. By the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. (The Bureau, Washington, DC) February 9, 2007. 9 p.

Full Text at: www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/work.pdf

["Highlights from the 2005 data include: 1) The proportion of the civilian noninstitutional population age 16 years old and over that worked at some time during the year was 67.7 percent in 2005, essentially unchanged from 2004. 2) The proportion of workers who worked full time, year round in 2005 (67.5 percent) was up from 2004 (66.8 percent). 3) The 'work-experience unemployment rate'—defined as the number unemployed at some time during the year as a proportion of the number who worked or looked for work during the year—decreased to 9.3 percent in 2005 from 9.7 percent in 2004."]

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Since 2001, Right to Work States Lead in Job Growth, Five-to-One. By the National Institute for Labor Relations Research. NILRR Fact Sheet. (The Institute, Springfield, Virginia) April 10, 2007. 4 p.

Full Text at: www.nilrr.org/Job-Growth%20Advantage%20--%201996-2006%20--%20final.pdf?storyId=4834393

["For many years, U.S. Labor Department data have shown that states with Right to Work laws on the books have far faster private-sector job growth than states that do not protect employees from federal policies authorizing the termination of workers for refusal to pay dues or fees to an unwanted union. Between 1996 and 2006, private-sector jobs in Right to Work states increased by a net 19.8%. That’s an 87% greater increase than the relatively small increase in private-sector jobs experienced by non-Right to Work states over this period."]

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Do Workers Still Want Unions? More than Ever. By Richard B. Freeman, Harvard University. EPI Briefing Paper. No. 182. (Economic Policy Institute, Washington, DC) February 22, 2007. 13 p.

Full Text at: www.sharedprosperity.org/bp182/bp182.pdf

["In the mid-2000s, workers see a major gap between the representation and participation they want at the workplace and what they have; the largest proportion ever recorded in survey data express a desire for union representation. Many workers also desire workplace committees that meet and discuss issues with management, some as a supplement to collective bargaining and some as useful even without collective bargaining. Many attribute the absence of mechanisms for workers to discuss issues with management to management opposition to workers speaking out. The United States has fallen far behind other English-speaking countries in providing alternative modes of employee voice at the workplace."]

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Minimum Wage Effects in the Post-Welfare Reform Era. By David Neumark, University of California, Irvine. (Employment Policies Institute, Washington, DC) January 2007. 38 p.

Full Text at: www.epionline.org/studies/Neumark_2007.pdf

["The author finds that the most negative minimum wage employment effects are felt by at-risk groups, such as the less-skilled and young minority males. He also finds that there may be positive minimum wage effects on the employment of young minority women aged 20-24 when combined with Earned Income Tax Credit policies. However, this benefit comes at a substantial cost to other groups. Among those who pay the highest costs are minority males and female high school dropouts. Minority males and high school dropouts often serve as 'poster children' for increases in the minimum wage, yet experience the strongest disemployment effects as well as decreased earnings which are magnified by higher state EITC levels."]

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Engaging and Retaining Older Workers: Highlights of a GAO Forum. By the U.S. Government Accountability Office. GAO-07-438SP. (The Office, Washington, DC) February 2007. 25 p.

Full Text at: www.gao.gov/new.items/d07438sp.pdf

["If older Americans were to remain in the labor force longer, it could ease some of the pressures on Social Security, supplement individual retirement incomes, and help finance health care. However, researchers have suggested that barriers may impede some older workers who want or need to work."]

[Request #S72018]

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More Californians are Working Later in Life. By Alissa Anderson Garcia, California Budget Project. (The Project, Sacramento, California) April 2007. 4 p.

Full Text at: www.cbp.org/pdfs/2007/0704_pp_olderworkers.pdf

["This study finds that the share of Californians age 55 to 69 who are employed increased considerably between 1995 and 2006, after a decade and a half of little change. This trend reflects a number of factors, including improved health and longer life expectancy, as well as diminished retirement security."]

[Request #S72019]

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Why Do Boomers Plan to Work So Long? By Gordon B.T. Mermin and others, the Urban Institute. The Retirement Project Discussion Paper. 06-04. (The Institute, Washington, DC) December 2006. 37 p.

Full Text at: www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/311386_Boomers_Work.pdf

["Will early boomers in fact delay retirement, and will the trend continue for later boomers? The answer likely depends, in part, on whether the recent trend in work characteristics and demographics continues. The erosion of employer retiree health benefits will likely persist, as health care costs continue to rise. And the trend away from traditional defined benefit plans shows no signs of abating. Taken together, these trends and the study findings suggest that the boomers will remain at work longer than the previous generation. The recent uptick in average retirement ages appears to be the leading edge of a new long-term trend. Lengthier careers will likely promote economic growth, increase government revenue, and improve individual financial security at older ages."]

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Within Reach ... But Out of Synch: The Possibilities and Challenges of Shaping Tomorrow's Government Workforce. By The Council for Excellence in Government and The Gallup Organization. (The Council, Washington, DC) December 2006. 11 p.

["This report identifies trends that will influence the federal government’s ability to attract and retain talented workers to replace those who are leaving. Our intention is to get answers to some simple but important questions: What do key targeted populations value in a job? How do they perceive working in the federal sector? How do they get information about jobs? What is the brand value of selected federal agencies?"]

Full Report. 11 p.
http://www.excelgov.org/UserFiles/File/Within%20Reach%20But%20Out%20of%20Synch.pdf

Top Line Data. 14 p.
http://www.excelgov.org/UserFiles/File/Best%20and%20Brightest%20Top%20Line%20Data.pdf

[Request #S72021]

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Investigations of Improper Activities by Employees: July 2006 Through January 2007. By the California State Auditor, Bureau of State Audits. (The Bureau, Sacramento, California) March 2007. 85 p.

Full Text at: www.bsa.ca.gov/pdfs/reports/I2007-1.pdf

[“A semiannual report on whistle-blower complaints pinpoints at least nine cases of employee or agency misconduct costing taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars. The bureau has seen a sharp increase in complaints since 2002, when a law took effect requiring state agencies to notify employees about California's whistle-blower hotline. In 2001-02, the agency averaged 26 complaints a month. The next year, after the law took effect, the average jumped to 44 per month.” Los Angeles Daily News (March 22, 2007) 1.]

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Many California Workers are Struggling to Find Work. By Alissa Anderson Garcia, California Budget Project. Policy Points. (The Project, Sacramento, California) January 2007. 3 p.

Full Text at: www.cbp.org/pdfs/2007/0701_pp_unemployment.pdf

["Many California workers are struggling to find work, even though the economy is in its fifth year of a recovery. This finding stands in stark contrast to the state’s official unemployment rate in November 2006 – only one-tenth of one percent higher than that of October, which was the lowest reported unemployment rate of the past 30 years. However, the unemployment rate is artificially low because it fails to include the state’s 'discouraged workers' – those who want to work, but have given up their search for employment. If discouraged workers were counted as unemployed, the state’s unemployment rate would be 8.1 percent. This Policy Points portrays a more complete picture of California’s employment situation than that suggested by the official unemployment rate alone."]

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The Case for Wage Insurance. By Lael Brainard, Global Economy and Development. (The Brookings Institution, Washington, DC) February 28, 2007. 3 p.

Full Text at: www.brookings.edu/printme.wbs?page=/pagedefs/1e3eefa4ec41ff404afa0dfc0a1415cb.xml

["A new wave of outsourcing has put increasing pressure on American workers while the nation's safety net for easing job transitions remains one of the weakest among the wealthy economies. Lael Brainard makes the case for wage insurance as one way to help smooth the incomes of workers who suffer permanent displacement or lower wages during job transitions."]

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Women's Wage Gains Continue to Exceed Those of Men in California. By Alissa Anderson Garcia, California Budget Project. Policy Points. (The Project, Sacramento, California) March 2007. 4 p.

Full Text at: www.cbp.org/pdfs/2007/0703_pp_femaleworkers.pdf

["This Policy Points shows that women’s wage gains surpassed those of their male counterparts across the earnings distribution in the early 2000s, reflecting, in part, women’s concentration in sectors of the economy that experienced strong growth. As women’s wages and the number of hours they work have increased, their earnings have become an increasingly important source of income for California’s families. However, women as a whole continue to earn less than men."]

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Understanding Low-Wage Work in the United States. By Heather Boushey, Center for Economic Policy and Research, and others. (The Mobility Agenda, Washington, DC) March 2007. 24 p.

Full Text at: www.inclusionist.org/files/lowwagework.pdf

["Over 40 million jobs in the United States -— about 1 in 3 -— pay low wages ($11.11 per hour or less) and often do not offer employment benefits like health insurance, retirement savings accounts, paid sick days or family leave. These low-wage jobs are replacing jobs that have historically supported a broad middle class. This report provides a clear and sobering picture of the low-wage labor market through analysis of labor market data, including: downward wage trends over time, poor work conditions, largest occupations, and declining mobility. The authors used a social inclusion definition of low-wage work that allows for comparison among jobs in the United States." Center for Economic and Policy Research (March 15, 2007) 1.]

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Laboring Towards Economic Self-Sufficiency: A Public Policy Perspective. AND: Laboring Towards Economic Self-Sufficiency: A Research Perspective. By Bonnie Braun, University of Maryland and Catherine Huddleston-Casas, University of Nebraska. (Rural Families Speak Project, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota) May 2006.

["Evidence exists that for rural families to participate in the labor force, there are inhibiting or facilitating factors. Some factors are … families are eligible for, but not receiving the Earned Income Tax Credit; families are challenged to get to places of employment, retail business and health or other services due to distances and the lack of reliable transportation; and employed mothers struggle with the demands of both employment and parenthood including finding available, affordable, safe care for their children."]

A Research Perspective. 6 p.
http://fsos.che.umn.edu/img/assets/16501/May_ResearchBrief.pdf

A Public Policy Perspective. 6 p.
http://fsos.che.umn.edu/img/assets/16501/May_PolicyBrief.pdf

Webcast.
http://fsos.che.umn.edu/projects/rfs/publications/breeze.html

[Request #S72027]

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Responsive Workplaces: the Business Case for Employment that Values Fairness and Families. By Jodie Levin-Epstein, Center for Law and Social Policy. (The Center, Washington, DC) March 5, 2007. 5 p.

Full Text at: www.clasp.org/publications/responsive_workplaces.pdf

["More and more, working parents have dual—and dueling—responsibilities on the job and at home. Some employers have adapted and made their workplaces responsive to working parents, offering, for example, flexible scheduling and paid time off. Often, such measures have benefited the employers, too, demonstrating that businesses can do well by doing good."]

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Return-to-Work Rates for Injured Workers with Permanent Disability. By the California Division of Workers’ Compensation (The Division, Sacramento, California) January 30, 2007. 5 p.

Full Text at: www.dir.ca.gov/dwc/ReturnToWorkRates/ReturnToWorkRates.pdf

[“Moderately injured workers are getting back on the job more quickly since Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a 2004 overhaul of California's workers' compensation insurance system, according to a state study. The report, which dealt with only a small portion of the workers' comp system, showed that 70% of employees declared permanently but partially disabled from Jan. 1, 2005, to June 30, 2006, returned to work. That's a slight improvement from the 65% of the injured population that went back to work in 2003 and 2004.” Los Angeles Times (February 1, 2007) 1.]

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Working in America: Transitioning in a Global Economy: Recommendations from a National Conversation on Jobs. By Patricia McGinnis, Council for Excellence in Government, and Suzanne Nora Johnson, Goldman Sachs Group. (The Council, Washington, DC) 2006. 47 p.

Full Text at: www.excelgov.org/UserFiles/Town%20Hall%20Final%20Report%20-%20low%20res.pdf?PHPSESSID=6c2663d7757bb85e6c5df4b5fe73a886

["From the town hall conversations and the regional and national polls, five themes emerged regarding public perceptions of the status and prospects for economic development, and the challenges and opportunities Americans face in creating a globally competitive workforce: 1) education is the most important key to developing the economy and creating and retaining good jobs; 2) collaboration between the public and private sectors is imperative for growth; 3) strategies and mechanisms for accessing investment capital need to be established and well-communicated to enhance business formation and growth; 4) beyond obtaining and continuously upgrading basic skills, individuals need to demonstrate the will to work; and 5) adaptation at institutional and personal levels is vital to creating good jobs in a competitive global economy."]

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An Overview of Federal Workforce Development Policies: Training Policy in Brief: 2007. By Gwen Rubenstein and Andrea Mayo, The Workforce Alliance. (The Alliance, Washington, DC) 2007. 120 p.

Full Text at: www.workforcealliance.org/atf/cf/{93353952-1DF1-473A-B105-7713F4529EBB}/Briefing_Ed2.pdf

["The second edition of our handy reference for policy makers and advocates profiles 13 federal programs that support skills training and education at the state and local level, including the Workforce Investment Act, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Carl D. Perkins Technical and Vocational Education Act, Pell Grants, and Food Stamp Employment and Training program."]

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The President's Demand-Driven Workforce Development Initiatives. By Ann Lordeman and Linda Levine, Congressional Research Service, U.S. Library of Congress. CRS Report for Congress. Code RL33811. (The Service, Washington, DC) January 10, 2007. 32 p.

Full Text at: www.workforceatm.org/sections/pdf/2007/Demand%20Driven%20Initiatitives_RL33811.pdf

["The U.S. Department of Labor has developed and implemented three initiatives referred to as market- or demand-driven. The goal of the initiatives — the High Growth Job Training Initiative (HGJTI), Community-Based Job Training Grants (CBJTG), and Workforce Innovation and Regional Economic Development (WIRED) — is to address the workforce challenges thought to impede the nation’s competitive advantage in the global economy. The initiatives have in common an approach that involves partnering the publicly funded workforce system, the business community, education and training providers, and economic development agencies. This report begins with an overview of each of the initiatives, which is followed by an analysis of the quantity and quality of jobs the targeted sectors might afford workers, and an examination of the relationship between the initiatives and Workforce Investment Act. The report closes with a series of policy questions for potential congressional oversight."]

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The National Study Report: Phase II of the National Study of Business Strategy and Workforce Development. By Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes, Center on Aging and Work/Workplace Flexibility at Boston College, and others. Research Highlight. No. 04. (The Center, Boston, Massachusetts) March 2007. 23 p.

Full Text at: agingandwork.bc.edu/documents/RH04_NationalStudy_03-07_000.pdf

["Key findings include: 1) Only 37% of employers had adopted strategies to encourage late career workers to stay past the traditional retirement age, despite the fact that late career employees 'have high levels of skills and strong professional and client networks, a strong work ethic, low turnover and are loyal and reliable.' 2) 60% of the employers indicated that recruiting competent job applicants is a significant HR challenge. 3) 40% indicated that management skills are in short supply in their organizations. 4) Only 33% of employers reported that their organization had made projections about retirement rates of their workers to either a moderate (24.1 percent) or great (9.7 percent) extent."]

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Working Together: Aligning State Systems and Policies for Individual and Regional Prosperity. By Christopher Mazzeo and others, Workforce Strategy Center. (The Center, Brooklyn, New York) December 2006. 45 p.

Full Text at: www.workforcestrategy.org/publications/WSC_workingtogether_12.1.06_3.pdf

["Despite evidence that both individuals and regions benefit economically when state systems effectively prepare skilled workers to participate in the knowledge economy, policymakers often come up short in optimizing the performance of their public systems of education and training. This paper details how policymakers can take immediate action to align policies and improve these systems, with numerous examples of best practices in numerous states. These cutting edge states have all learned that low-skill and low-wage workers are an important untapped potential resource for regional economic growth, and that enhancing the skills and employment prospects of these workers can and will benefit a state’s overall economy."]

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HUMAN SERVICES

POVERTY

Repairing the Economic Ladder: A Transformative Investment Strategy to Reduce Poverty and Expand America's Middle Class. By the U.S. Conference of Mayors Task Force on Poverty, Work and Opportunity. (The Conference, Washington, DC) January 2007. 29 p.

Full Text at: usmayors.org/chhs/VillaraigosaPovertyReport07.pdf

["A task force of the nation's mayors is calling for the federal government to create a lifetime learning savings account for every child born in the country -- beginning with a $500 deposit -- as part of an overall strategy to ease poverty.... The task force also called for increased federal investment in preschool and education to boost the middle class and reduce the number of working poor. The mayors said the federal government also should make more money available to underserved neighborhoods by offering tax credits and incentives to draw financial institutions to the areas." Daily News of Los Angeles (March 22, 2007) N4.]

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Rewarding the Work of Individuals: A Counterintuitive Approach to Reducing Poverty and Strengthening Families. By Gordon L. Berlin. (MDRC, New York, New York) February 2007. 28 p.

Full Text at: www.mdrc.org/publications/443/workpaper.pdf

["The author answers the question: If you could do one thing to reduce poverty in America, what would it be? Drawing on experimental evidence about the impact of earnings supplements, he explores the potential advantages of expanding the federal Earned Income Tax Credit to all low-wage adults who work full time — whether they have children or not and whether they marry or not."]

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[This section links to items in Studies in the News since the last Employment, Training, Vocational Education and Welfare to Work Supplement.]

EMPLOYMENT

"Employment, Training, Vocational Education and Welfare to Work" IN: Studies in the News, January 2007 - April 2007

[Includes: " Labor laws apply to tribes;" "Transitional services for emancipated foster youth;    "Poverty reduces economic growth; "Ratio of government employees to population is low; and others.]

[Request #S72040]

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