Category Archives: Jobs

Working Families Get Squeezed in Iowa

Posted on October 13, 2004 by bfialindathieman

Working Families Get Squeezed in Iowa

Iowa Fiscal Partnership

Report: One in Four Families in Iowa is Low-Income

IOWA CITY – ­ One in four Iowa families is low-income, earning less than $36,784 for a family of four, according to a new national report.

“Work should pay better than that,” said Elaine Ditsler, research associate for the Iowa Policy Project (IPP), who noted other findings of the report.

“When one-third of Iowa children in working families are in low-income homes, we should be concerned about addressing their needs. When almost half of minority working families are low-income, how can anyone be satisfied with that?”

The report also found that working families face uneven income conditions state-to-state, with Iowa ranking about in the middle on several measures.

“Average is not good enough for Iowa,” Ditsler said.

The report was conducted as part of the Working Poor Families Project, supported by the Annie E. Casey, Ford, and Rockefeller foundations. The report spotlights issues confronting low-income working families and makes several recommendations to improve their economic standing.

Ditsler reviewed the report for the Iowa Fiscal Partnership, a joint effort of the IPP and the Child & Family Policy Center in Des Moines.

Ranking states from first (best) to 50th (worst), the report, “Working Hard, Falling Short,” found Iowa:

–Ranks 25th nationally in the percentage of working families that are low income (1 in 4) and 19th on the percentage of children that live in low-income working families. One out of 3 children in working families lives in a low-income family.
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Working for a Pittance

Posted on October 12, 2004 by bfialindathieman

Working for a Pittance by Bob Herbert, New York Times Coming this week are the results of a new study that shows – here at home – how tough a time American families are having in their never-ending struggle to … Continue reading →

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Tonight’s Debate: More Tough Questions

Posted on October 8, 2004 by bfialindathieman

Tonight's Debate: More Tough Questions American Progress Bush has been preparing for tonight's townhall-style debate for the entire campaign. At 19 “Ask pResident Bush” events, he has fielded probing questions from an audience which – his handlers insist – has … Continue reading →

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