Job Quality and Income Security
A good job provides workers and their families with a path to economic security with adequate wages for supporting themselves in the present and the tools for building future prosperity through saving, caring for and supporting family members and loved ones in the future. IWPR provides research and analysis on the impact quality jobs have on the economic well-being of workers, families, businesses, and communities.
We provide research and analysis on issues related to work-family policies, such as paid sick and family medical leave; wages, the social safety, and economic impact payments; benefits, health insurance, retirement security and pension access; scheduling, job security and flexibility; and career mobility and advancement.
Estimating the Cost of Paid Family and Medical Leave in Connecticut
The Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) analyzed Connecticut SB-1, An Act Concerning Earned Family and Medical Leave, to estimate its likely annual use and cost.
Valuing Good Health in Austin, Texas: The Costs and Benefits of Earned Sick Days
DOWNLOAD REPORT Policymakers across the country are increasingly interested in ensuring that workers can earn paid time off to use when they are sick. In addition to concerns about workers’ ability to respond to their own health needs, there is growing recognition that, [...]
Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance: Modest Costs are a Good investment in America’s Economy
DOWNLOAD REPORT February 5, 2018, marks the 25th anniversary of President Bill Clinton’s signing of the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA). Since then, FMLA has been used millions of times by eligible workers to take up to 12 weeks of job [...]
Access to Paid Sick Time in Austin, Texas
This briefing paper presents estimates of access to paid sick time in Austin by sex, race and ethnicity, sector of employment, occupation, part/full-time employment status, and earnings levels through analyses of government data sources, including the 2013–2015 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and the 2015 American Community Survey (ACS).
Paid Family Leave—Vital Benefits at an Affordable Cost
Paid family and medical leave programs benefit workers, families, employers, and society—but at what cost? IWPR and IMPAQ International recently evaluated existing paid leave programs in three states, as well as the Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMILY) Act as it has been introduced in both houses of Congress. Using data from the U.S. Department of Labor and the Census Bureau, the study determined that family leave could be offered nationwide at modest cost.
Paid Sick Days: Significant Benefits, Low Costs
Unlike most nations in the industrialized world, the United States does not guarantee that workers receive paid sick leave. Some employees are eligible for unpaid time off to care for their own or a close family member’s “serious health condition” under the Family and Medical Leave [...]