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.
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 [...]
Access to Paid Sick Time in Texas
Approximately 40 percent of workers in Texas lack paid sick time, and low-income and part-time workers are especially unlikely to be covered.
Supports that Matter in Workforce Development Programs: A National Client Survey on Access to Services
This report presents findings from a national, online survey of more than 1,800 participants in job training programs. It captures their perspectives on the role of supportive services such as child care and transportation assistance in facilitating their success in job training, the availability of supportive services across different types of training programs, the unmet support needs of program participants, and the significance of job training for their lives.
Estimating Usage and Costs of Alternative Policies to Provide Paid Sick Days in the United States
This brief explores the costs and benefits of alternative sick days policies applied at the national level: San Francisco’s Paid Sick Leave Ordinance, the Vermont Act, and the proposed federal Healthy Families Act.