May 19, 2008
Synthesizing previous CEPR research, this report uses a new methodology to better assess the economic security of working families. Rather than using the federal poverty line as a metric for a family’s economic hardship, the authors of “Working Families and Economic Insecurity in the States: The Role of Job Quality and Work Supports,” use basic family budgets and consider the role of public works supports to present a more accurate picture of a working family’s economic needs for attaining a basic standard of living in their communities. The study includes results for 45 states and the District of Columbia.
