More State Economy Resources

Poor families work harder than many think

10.01.2008 | Working Poor Families Project | The economy is tanking these days and despite all the worries about Wall Street and the middle class, working poor families will likely take the biggest hit. More » Full Report »

Highlights of Women’s Earnings in 2008

07.01.2008 | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics | This report presents earnings data from the Current Population Survey (CPS), a national monthly survey of approximately 60,000 households conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau for the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Information on earnings is collected from one-fourth of the CPS sample each month. Full Report »

Inside the Middle Class: Bad Times Hit the Good Life

04.09.2008 | Pew Research Center | This report on the attitudes and lives of the American middle class combines results of a national public opinion survey with analysis of relevant economic and demographic trend data from the Census Bureau. It finds fewer Americans now than at any time in the past half century believe they're moving forward in life - with good reason. For decades, middle-income Americans had been making absolute progress while enduring relative decline. But since 1999, they have not made economic gains. While today about half of all Americans think of themselves as middle class, they are actually a varied lot. Executive Summary » Full Report »

Pulling Apart: Washington's Growing Income Gap

04.08.2008 | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities | Income inequality in Washington State grew significantly during the most recent period of economic growth. The highest income families saw their average income grow by nearly 12 % since the late 1990s, while incomes stagnated for those at the middle and bottom of the income scale, after adjusting for inflation. Fact Sheet »

The Self-Sufficiency Standard for Washington State 2006

06.29.2007 | Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County | As income inequality has increased in the United States, more and more families are finding that they are unable to stretch their wages to meet the rising costs of basic necessities. Though many of these families are not defined as poor according to the official poverty measure, their incomes are inadequate. But what is an adequate income— and how does this amount vary among different family types and different places? Thee Self-Sufficiency Standard is a sophisticated measure of income adequacy designed to answer this question. Full Report »

 

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