Family Economic Security

The Great Unshared Recovery: Millions of Us Are Worse Off Than in the Great Recession

Officially, the Great Recession ended in 2009. But after three years of “recovery,” there were 6.7 million more people living in poverty than in 2008, a recession year. We’ve been stuck with 15 percent of our people in poverty for three years. In the 2008 recession year, 13.2 percent were poor...

Playing Games with Our Kids: Moms vs. Congress

Games are a time-honored way of expanding people's knowledge. My mom, who was a single mother throughout my elementary school years, played games with my brother and I in the grocery store when we were young to help make the price right for purchasing our family food on a very limited budget. When...

Labor Day Shines Light on Challenges, Courage of Low-Wage Workers

Shaniqua , a 20-year-old mother, works for McDonald’s in New York City, where she can rarely get 40 hours a week. She struggles to afford food, diapers, and other basics. Nick , a McDonald’s worker in Indianapolis, survives on $800 per month while caring for his chronically ill mother and disabled...

This 50th Anniversary I’m Ready to Work

This afternoon I’m headed to the Lincoln Memorial for the 50th Anniversary celebration of the March on Washington. Today’s event is both a commemoration and call to action. Thousands are gathering to remember the 1963 March and to outline the remaining civil rights agenda. At times the 2013 civil...