Gordon Berlin discusses the nation's long struggle to reduce poverty in families with children, and proposes a counterintuitive solution--rewarding the work of individuals. He notes that policymakers' difficulty in reducing family poverty since 1973 is attributable to two intertwined problems--falling wages among low-skilled workers and the…

This paper focuses on why metropolitan areas vary in their capacity to translate generally high employment rates into economic opportunity for the disadvantaged. Data come from the Urban Institute's Urban Underclass Database, which includes poverty and employment data for 1980 and 1990 for the 100 largest metropolitan areas down to the Census…

Illustrates, through text and graphs, that many striking variations are submerged beneath overall figures of poverty rates. The substantial differences in poverty rate according to race and ethnicity are, in large part, the consequences of major differences in family types and work situations. (SLD)

Women's vulnerability to increased landlessness and other economic factors has created a need in most developing nations for year-round, rural, non-agricultural employment opportunities for women. Census data from 56 Third World countries reveal that women are generally underrepresented in the paid labor force and overrepresented in the…

This paper is a product of the "Changing Domestic Priorities" project which has examined the shifts taking place in the nation's economic and social policies under the Reagan Administration and is now focusing on the major economic and social problems facing the nation over the coming decade. The following topics are discussed in this paper: (1)…

Noting that 182,000 of Wisconsin's children are living below the poverty line, this report documents factors affecting the working poor of Wisconsin, combining labor market and wage data with profiles of families and their children from communities throughout the state. The report documents the surge in poverty-wage jobs in Wisconsin over the past…

Describes a game designed to impress upon undergraduates the difficulty of economic mobility for minorities. The game involves two groups, "Majorities" and "Minorities," and their efforts to build a simulated social network with string. Minorities receive shorter lengths of string and cannot leave their seats. Discusses follow-up exercises. (MJP)

The Area Consortium on Training initiated the Training for Technology Project to fill industry needs for skilled personnel and job needs for economically disadvantaged persons. Major accomplishments included establishment of a training team for economic development and for development of training programs; contacting of more than 100 employers;…

A rationale is presented for the establishment of a comprehensive skills center designed to provide low-cost, vocational training that would enable the unskilled and unemployed population of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, to fill area manpower needs. The report first compares the present composition of the county work force with the manpower needs of…

Experiences of students while attending the City University of New York (CUNY) and their status approximately one year after graduation were studied with a sample of June 1979 graduates. About a 60 percent response rate to the questionnaire, which is appended, was obtained. It was found that 47 percent of associate degree graduates and 31 percent…

This report examines the operation and outcomes of Illinois' welfare programs in fiscal year 1995. The Illinois Department of Public Aid's new emphasis on providing incentives/assistance to move welfare recipients from welfare to work is explained. Next, the following programs are discussed: Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) and Job…

Surging demand for workers, growing income inequality, and passage of welfare reforms have made work force development one of the United States' key national concerns. Public/Private Ventures has been working with various states to design work force development strategies that seek to address the concerns of many work force development specialists…

The new emphasis on welfare reform, self-reliance, and individual accountability and the new time limits imposed by the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program have resulted in large numbers of people between the ages of 18 and 24 entering the work force. The three main career options for youth in transition from school to work are…