Urban Institute: Employment

Unemployment Statistics on Older Americans : Updated February 3, 2012

paffairs@urban.org ( Richard W. Johnson, Corina Mommaerts, Janice Park ) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

The recession has increased joblessness among older Americans. These graphs and tables report unemployment rates and how they have varied by age, sex, race, and education since 2007.

Interactive Map Shows Local Job Strength by Sector

paffairs@urban.org ( Urban Institute ) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

The Urban Institute's MetroTrends research team has created an interactive map that reveals the relative employment strength in 16 job sectors for the nations top 100 metropolitan areas. A brief commentary by Graham MacDonald accompanies the map.

Implementation and Early Training Outcomes of the High Growth Job Training Initiative: Final Report

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

The High Growth Job Training Initiative (HGJTI) was a national grant program administered by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Employment and Training Administration (ETA). Between 2001 and 2007, more than 160 grants were awarded to establish industry-focused job training and related projects designed to meet the industrys workforce challenges. This report is the third and final in a series from the national evaluation of the HGJTI conducted by the Urban Institute, the Institute for Policy Studies at Johns Hopkins University, and Capital Research Corporation. This report documents the national initiative, describes the structure and implementation of projects by selected grantees, and provides nonexperimental analysis of the early impacts of job training in selected HGJTI-funded programs. The analysis relies on a review of grant applications and quarterly reports; visits to nine selected grantee sites; data collected from grantee training programs; quarterly earnings data from state unemployment insurance wage records; and administrative data from state and local public workforce system agencies.

Retirement Account Balances (Updated 1/12)

paffairs@urban.org ( Barbara Butrica, Philip Issa ) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

The retirement savings of American households took a big hit when the stock market crashed in 2008. Recently, however, a good portion of these losses has been reversed. This fact sheet follows trends in retirement account balances since the beginning of 2005.

Urban Institute Business Patterns Data Set: Technical Documentation : Second Edition

paffairs@urban.org ( Beata Bajaj, Kathryn L.S. Pettit, Randy Rosso ) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

This document describes the Business Patterns series source data set and the summary indicators from this set that are included in the UI data file. It also discusses technical issues associated with preparing the Business Patterns data.

Do Low-Income Workers Benefit from 401(k) Plans? (Full Report)

paffairs@urban.org ( Eric Toder, Karen E. Smith ) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

Economists frequently assume that employees pay for employer-provided fringe benefits, such as contributions to retirement plans, in the form of reduced wages. This paper challenges these assumptions. Because low-income employees receive little tax benefit from saving in qualified retirement plans, they may not be willing to accept a one dollar reduction in their wage in return for an additional dollar contributed to their 401(k) plan. We find that employers reduce wages of high-income workers by 90 to 99 cents for every dollar contributed to a 401(k) plan, but they reduce wages of low-income workers by only 11 to 29 cents.

Changes in Prince George's County: 2000 through 2010

paffairs@urban.org ( Jennifer Comey, Graham MacDonald, Zach McDade ) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

NeighborhoodInfo DC, an Urban Institute project, has amassed a data warehouse measuring the health and vitality of Washington, DC neighborhoods. This fact sheet is the first publication in our effort to extend our analysis to the council districts in Prince George's County, Maryland. The following information summarizes selected population and socioeconomic changes in Prince George's County between 2000 and 2010 using the latest tract-level 2010 U.S. Census population data and the 20052009 American Community Survey. We provide countywide averages, as well as the individual changes in the countys nine districts.

Do Low-Income Workers Benefit from 401(k) Plans? (Brief)

paffairs@urban.org ( Eric Toder, Karen E. Smith ) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

Unemployment Insurance and the Great Recession

paffairs@urban.org ( Wayne Vroman ) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

This issue brief examines the unprecedented funding problem of state unemployment insurance (UI) programs. The majority of UI programs (36 of 53) have borrowed, securing record loan amounts to maintain unemployment insurance benefit payments during 2009-2011. It identifies the causes of the funding problem, discusses borrowing options for states and describes policy responses at both the state and federal levels. State actions have included both tax increases and benefit reductions. Federal policy proposals have addressed the low UI taxable wage base in most states and have offered partial debt forgiveness in return for state actions to improve solvency. To date, policy actions have been slow at both the state and federal levels of government.

Unemployment Insurance and the Great Recession

paffairs@urban.org ( Wayne Vroman ) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EST

This paper examines the unprecedented funding problem of state unemployment insurance (UI) programs. The majority of UI programs (36 of 53) have borrowed, securing record loan amounts to maintain unemployment insurance benefit payments during 2009-2011. It identifies the causes of the funding problem, discusses borrowing options for states and describes policy responses at both the state and federal levels. State actions have included both tax increases and benefit reductions. Federal policy proposals have addressed the low UI taxable wage base in most states and have offered partial debt forgiveness in return for state actions to improve solvency. To date, policy actions have been slow at both the state and federal levels of government.

Strengthening Families Through Stronger Fathers: Final Impact Report for the Pilot Employment Programs

paffairs@urban.org ( Kye Lippold, Elaine Sorensen ) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EST

New York state implemented a pilot employment program from 2006 to 2009 for parents behind in their child support. These pilot programs, part of the Strengthening Families Through Stronger Fathers Initiative, provided employment-oriented services, fatherhood/parenting workshops, case management, and other support services to nearly 4,000 parents behind in their child support in four New York communities. Our evaluation shows that these programs successfully helped participants find work, increase their earnings, and pay more child support. These gains continued for at least a year after enrollment, the length of time participant outcomes were followed.

New York Initiative Helps Fathers Increase Their Earnings and Child Support

paffairs@urban.org ( Elaine Sorensen ) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EST

New York launched a pilot employment program to help parents behind in their child support in four communities between 2006 and 2009. The program was part of the state's Strengthening Families Through Stronger Fathers Initiative. Our evaluation found that the program's combination of employment assistance, case management, and other support services substantially increased the earnings and child support payments of disadvantaged parents who were not meeting their child support obligations.

Why Employers Will Continue to Provide Health Insurance: The Impact of the Affordable Care Act

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 00:00:00 EST

The Congressional Budget Office, the Rand Corporation, and the Urban Institute have estimated that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will leave employer-sponsored coverage largely intact; in contrast, some economists and benefit consultants argue that the ACA encourages employers to drop coverage thereby making both their workers and their firms better off (a winwin" situation). This brief's analysis shows that no such "winwin" situation exists and that employer-sponsored insurance will remain most workers' primary source of coverage. Analysis of three issues-the terms of the ACA, worker characteristics, and the fundamental economics of competitive markets-supports this conclusion.

Where It Really Hurts: Job Losses for Low-Skill Workers by State

paffairs@urban.org ( Josh Mitchell ) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 00:00:00 EST

Labor market deterioration during the Great Recession has been both substantial overall and unevenly distributed across regions and types of workers. In particular, low-skill workers have lost proportionately more jobs than other workers nationwide and done particularly poorly in a number of states. This fact sheet shows the loss of low-skill jobs by state over the recession and how it compares to overall job losses by state.

Metropolitan Job Growth Patterns in the Great Recession

paffairs@urban.org ( Daniel Kuehn ) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 00:00:00 EST

The pace of job growth across the country in this recovery has been slow but not uniform. Metropolitan areas have fared differently, with some experiencing substantially lower job loss than others. This paper examines employment changes across industries that pay low, medium, and high-wages on average by metropolitan area to identify which metros are faring better not only in total employment but in different types of jobs.

Measuring the Social Value of Postal Services: Progress Report and Results

paffairs@urban.org ( Nancy M. Pindus ) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EST

This slide presentation summarizes work undertaken for the Postal Regulatory Commission to examine various aspects of the social value of postal services to the nation: 1) the economic benefits of post offices; 2) the transportation and price leadership role of the Postal Service for parcels, expedited services, money orders, and post office boxes; and 3) community safety and public safety benefits from the presence of letter carriers and post offices. The first two studies were completed; the third was not completed due to budgetary cutbacks.

Studies of Social and Commercial Benefits of Postal Services: Economic Effects of Post Offices

paffairs@urban.org ( Christopher Hayes, Chris Narducci, Nancy M. Pindus ) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EST

Does the closing of a post office have negative effects on the economic indicators of the surrounding community?This study uses a difference-in-differences approach to assess the economic impact of a post office closure on a community. We compared employment and number of business establishments in communities with a post office to similar communities where a post office has been closed between 2002 and 2005.While the results do not provide conclusive evidence of economic impact, they do suggest a small, sometimes significant, negative impact on employment in the ZIP codes with post office closures.

Promoting Job Creation in the U.S. : Testimony before the Budget Committee of the United States Senate

paffairs@urban.org ( Harry Holzer ) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EST

In testimony before the U.S. Senate Budget Committee, Harry Holzer looks at unemployment and the labor market over the next several years.

A Jobs Plan We Can Afford

paffairs@urban.org ( Robert I. Lerman ) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EST

This brief lays out a feasible, cost-effective strategy for job creation.It would create 4 million new jobs at a budget cost of less than $60 billion and is far more affordable and effective than President Obamas $448 billion proposal to create up to 2.1 million jobs.Lermans five plan components include expanding energy development, increasing demand for owner-occupied housing through homeownership vouchers and refinancing, a generous tax credit for expanding employment, an expansion of apprenticeship training, and direct job creation.These components would likely stimulate enough jobs to reduce the unemployment rate from 9.1% to 5.5%.

Is the Safety Net Catching Unemployed Families?

paffairs@urban.org ( Austin Nichols, Sheila R. Zedlewski ) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EST

The vast majority of unemployed families received some help from core safety net programs in 2009.Among those experiencing unemployment, receipt of unemployment benefits doubled between 2005 and 2009. Enrollment in the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) also increased.Public Assistance played a limited role in unemployed families' lives.About 15 percent of low-work, unemployed families got no help from the safety net.The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 clearly helped to strengthen the safety net.This extra help has mostly ended, leaving many families to contend with high unemployment and a frayed safety net.

Dynamics of Being Disconnected from Work and TANF

paffairs@urban.org ( Pamela J. Loprest, Austin Nichols ) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EST

This paper analyses the economic well-being of low-income single mothers who "disconnected" that is neither working nor receiving public assistance benefits (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program (TANF) or disability benefits). We find that the percentage of disconnected single mothers increased over time. These mothers are extremely poor and are more likely to have challenges that make work more difficult than other single mothers. In addition, many mothers remain in this situation for a year or more. Some are helped by living with other family members or cohabiting and through receipt of public food and housing benefits.

Family Policy Scholar Elizabeth Peters Becomes Director of Urban Institute's Center on Labor, Human Services, and Population

paffairs@urban.org ( Urban Institute ) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EST

Elizabeth Peters, the founding director of Cornell University's Population Program, has joined the Urban Institute as the director of its Center on Labor, Human Services, and Population.

Less-Educated Continue to Lose Jobs in Recovery-Even in Low-Wage Industries

paffairs@urban.org ( Pamela J. Loprest, Austin Nichols ) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EST

In the sluggish recovery, less-educated workers, especially those with a high school degree or less, continue to lose jobs at a substantial rate. This factsheet presents employment changes in the recession and recovery by skill level and industry showing that those with less than a high school degree were hit hardest, even in low wage industries. Gains in the recovery have been concentrated among workers with a college education.

Characteristics of Low-Income Single Mothers Disconnected from Work and Public Assistance

paffairs@urban.org ( Pamela J. Loprest, Austin Nichols ) — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EST

Families headed by low-income single mothers who are not working or receiving public cash benefits ("disconnected families") are among the most vulnerable in our society. This fact sheet shows that the number of families in this situation is increasing over time. It also describes their income, receipt of noncash benefits like housing and food assistance, living arrangements, and characteristics that may impede work.

What Role is Welfare Playing in this Period of High Unemployment?

paffairs@urban.org ( Sheila R. Zedlewski, Pamela J. Loprest, Erika Huber ) — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EST

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), the nation's cash assistance program for poor families with children, has not played much of a countercyclical role during the current recession. As unemployment has risen, TANF caseloads nationally have grown much more slowly and state TANF caseloads have not tracked state unemployment growth. Program rules and financing structures limit the responsiveness of TANF in a downturn. As TANF reauthorization is considered, this brief details some relatively small changes that could improve the program's effectiveness in future recessions.

Employment and Earnings among 50+ People of Color

paffairs@urban.org ( Richard W. Johnson, Janice Park ) — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EST

The number of people of color in the workforce will soar in coming decades as the older population expands, grows more diverse, and works longer. However, African Americans and Hispanics age 50 and older face substantial workplace challenges, including relatively low earnings, high unemployment, and limited access to self-employment. Older Asians fare better, but still lag behind their non-Hispanic white counterparts along many dimensions. This data brief shows how recent trends in labor force participation, earnings, self-employment, and unemployment vary by race and Hispanic origin for adults age 50 and older.

What to Do about the New Unemployment

paffairs@urban.org ( Pamela J. Loprest ) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EST

This brief provides information on what we as a country can do about unemployment by drawing together information presented in three UI forums about ways to jumpstart the job market, how younger and older workers are faring in and after the recession, and how the safety net needs to be retooled in times of high unemployment.

Restoring Solvency and Improving Equity in Social Security Benefit Options : Statement Before the U.S. House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security

paffairs@urban.org ( C. Eugene Steuerle ) — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EST

Gene Steuerle testifies on alternative ways to restore solvency and undertake benefit reforms in Social Security, concentrating on four: restricting automatic growth in benefits where needs are least, adjusting benefits so they both encourage employment and are concentrated more in older ages, removing many sources of inequity and inefficiency that penalize beneficiaries, and reforming private pensions so they better protect the majority of workers who today end up with little in the way of private retirement benefits.

How Much Might Automatic IRAs Improve Retirement Security for Low- and Moderate-Wage Workers?

paffairs@urban.org ( Barbara Butrica, Richard W. Johnson ) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EST

Automatic individual retirement accounts (IRAs) could significantly boost retirement savings for millions of low- and moderate-wage workers. A proposal embraced by the Obama administration would require most employers that do not offer retirement plans to establish IRAs for their employees and automatically direct a portion of pay into the accounts, unless employees opt out. Our results, based on the Urban Institute's microsimulation model, show that automatic IRAs would boost retirement incomes for as many as half of low-income retirees and three-fifths of moderate-income retirees. For both groups, mean age-70 incomes among those who gain would increase by nearly a fifth.

The Effects of Health Reform on Small Businesses and Their Workers

paffairs@urban.org ( Stacey McMorrow, Linda J. Blumberg, Matthew Buettgens ) — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 00:00:00 EST

This brief consolidates the results of several UI studies addressing the effects of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on small firms.We find generally positive effects of the ACA on small employers and their workers.Employers with fewer than 50 workers will experience substantial savings on health costs; employers with 50 to 100 workers will seea very small cost increase.The smallest firms are expected to have higher offer rates, resulting in a small increase in employer coverage.Small firm workers and their families will reap substantial benefits from the Medicaid expansion and subsidies to low-income families.

Child Care Choices of Low-Income Working Families

Wed, 08 Jun 2011 00:00:00 EST

This research report presents the findings from a qualitative study of the child care choices of low-income working families in two urban communities. Participants included 86 parents with young children, many of whom were immigrants, English language learners, or parents of children with special needs. We discuss the key themes and variations in family experiences, giving particular attention to parental preferences and the factors that influenced their decisions, within the contexts of their employment and the early care and education programs in their communities. We conclude with policy recommendations that can promote parental access to affordable and high quality care.

Five Questions for Demetra Smith Nightingale on Workforce Development Policy

paffairs@urban.org ( Demetra Smith Nightingale ) — Thu, 26 May 2011 00:00:00 EST

Senior Fellow Demetra Smith Nightingale answers five questions about workforce development policyhow its evolved, when it's most effective, and what policymakers can do to improve job training and education. The Obama administration has emphasized community colleges' key role in workforce development and the need to forge partnerships between community colleges and employers to better train future workers.

How Will the Great Recession Affect Future Retirement Incomes?

paffairs@urban.org ( Barbara Butrica, Richard W. Johnson, Karen E. Smith ) — Thu, 26 May 2011 00:00:00 EST

The financial impact of the 20072009 recession will reverberate into retirement for many working families, even those who did not lose their jobs. Average wages grew very slowly during the downturn, reducing lifetime earnings. Lower earnings leave less income to set aside for retirement and depress future Social Security and pension incomes. Although unusually strong wage growth in coming years could bail out younger workers, there is little recourse for workers now approaching traditional retirement ages. For those age 55 to 59 in 2008, the Great Recession will reduce average age-70 incomes by 5 percent.

The Potential Impact of the Great Recession on Future Retirement Incomes

paffairs@urban.org ( Barbara Butrica, Richard W. Johnson, Karen E. Smith ) — Thu, 26 May 2011 00:00:00 EST

This study examines the long-run effects of the Great Recession on future retirement incomes for working-age adults in 2008. The recession will reduce average annual incomes at age 70 by 4 percent, primarily because the downturn slowed wage growth. More than 700,000 adults will fall into or near poverty at age 70 because of the Great Recession. Unless wage levels rebound sharply, future retirement incomes will decline most sharply for those workers who were youngest when the recession began. They are most likely to have lost their jobs and the impact of lower wages will accumulate over their entire careers.

Reports of Unemployment Compensation in the American Community Survey A Data Note

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EST

Unemployment compensation (UC), a key part of the social safety net, is not individually reported in the American Community Survey (ACS), an issue for data users wishing to estimate the impact of UC on those in need. Using regression techniques, we predict the share of reported "other" income attributable to UC in the 2008 ACS data for Georgia, Illinois and Massachusetts. We review UC underreporting in the ACS data and discuss one possible method of correction using the Transfer Income Model, Version 3 (TRIM3). We demonstrate the effect of the UC underreporting correction on the poverty rate and poverty gap.

Partnering with Employers to Promote Job Advancement for Low-Skill Individuals

paffairs@urban.org ( Karin Martinson ) — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EST

This paper explores the reasons why employer partnerships are important for improving economic outcomes for both low-skill workers and businesses. It identifies the factors that have hindered the growth of these partnerships as well as promising approaches-incumbent worker training and sectoral training-to build partnerships. It concludes with a discussion of policy considerations for creating and sustaining partnerships with employers to provide skill development opportunities.

How Did 50+ Workers Fare in 2010?

paffairs@urban.org ( Richard W. Johnson, Janice Park ) — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST

Unemployment rates remained high for the 47.5 million workers age 50 and older in 2010. More than half of unemployed workers this age were out of work for more than six months, and nearly a third were out of work for more than a year. Workers age 50 to 61too young to qualify for Social Security retirement benefitshave fared worse than those age 62 and older since the Great Recession began in December 2007. This data brief shows recent trends in unemployment, employment, labor force participation, earnings, and unemployment duration.

Assessing the Evidence about Work Support Benefits and Low-Income Families

paffairs@urban.org ( Gregory B. Mills, Jessica F. Compton, Olivia Golden ) — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST

For low-income working parents, benefits received through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Medicaid, and child care subsidies provide vital work support. Access to these programs has been restricted, however, by barriers relating to federal and state funding, program policy, and administrative process, complicating program enrollment and benefit retention. As a result, many low-income working families do not receive the multi-program benefits for which they are eligible. This paper provides a strong rationale for the Work Support Strategies demonstration, enabling selected states to design, implement, and evaluate modernization strategies to dramatically improve families' access to a package of work support benefits.

Nine States Chosen to be Laboratories Testing Inventive Ways to Streamline Services for Low-Income Working Families

paffairs@urban.org ( Urban Institute ) — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST

In a major effort to tap and foster state capital ingenuity, the Urban Institute has selected nine states to receive $250,000 each in planning grants as part of a five-year initiative with lead funding from the Ford Foundation. Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, and South Carolina were chosen for first-year grants to test inventive ways to streamline services for low-income working families.

Lifetime Benefits and Taxes in Social Security: The Effect of Different Discount Rates on Present Value Calculations

paffairs@urban.org ( Stephanie Rennane, C. Eugene Steuerle ) — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST

It is often useful to compute contributions and benefits over a lifetime when studying policies for retirement and Social Security. However, these calculations are complicated by factors like economic growth and inflation, which change the relative value of investments over time. The fact that $1 in the bank today might accrue enough interest to be worth $1.03 next year leads economists, accountants, and actuaries to find ways to equate the two amounts at a point in time. This fact sheet explains how the discount rate affects present value calculations.

Thirteen Ways of Looking at Poverty

paffairs@urban.org ( Urban Institute ) — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST

This factsheet presents a quick overview of recent cross-cutting Urban Institute research on poverty, including 13 key points on poverty's effects on immigration, health care, children, infants with depressed mothers, employment, assets, and neighborhoods. One in an occasional series of "Thirteen Ways" factsheets.

Urban Institute Project Will Test Services Aiding Low-Income Public Housing Residents and Their Communities

paffairs@urban.org ( Urban Institute ) — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST

The Urban Institute launched a project in Portland, Oregon, and Chicago testing innovative ways for human service providers to help impoverished residents find and keep jobs, assets, and stay healthy. The three-year, approximately $6-million initiativecalled Housing Opportunities and Services Togetherwill evaluate ways to coordinate public housing and human services to maximize positive outcomes for parents and children.

Employer-Sponsored Insurance under Health Reform: Reports of Its Demise Are Premature

paffairs@urban.org ( Bowen Garrett, Matthew Buettgens ) — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST

Some have argued that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act would erode employer-sponsored insurance (ESI) by providing incentives for employers to stop offering coverage. Others have claimed that most businesses would face increased costs as a result of reform. A new study finds that overall ESI coverage under the ACA would not differ significantly from what coverage would be without reform.The average employer contribution per person covered by ESI would decrease by nearly 8 percent for small firms and would decrease slightly for larger firms.Total employer health care spending would be 0.6 percent lower under the ACA.

Immigration Policy and Less-Skilled Workers in the United States : Reflections on Future Directions for Reform

paffairs@urban.org ( Harry Holzer ) — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST

This paper reviews the evidence on the effects of less-skilled immigration to the U.S., and considers the implications of this evidence for immigration reform ideas. It begins with a review of the costs of less-skilled immigration, in terms of competition to native-born American workers and fiscal costs; as well as the benefits of such immigration in the form of lower prices to consumers, higher profits for employers, and greater efficiency for the U.S. economy. The paper then reviews various reform ideas that have been proposed in Congress in recent years, and also considers a range of other ideas, that would likely raise the net benefits associated with less-skilled immigration to the U.S.

Can Unemployed Older Workers Find Work?

paffairs@urban.org ( Richard W. Johnson, Janice Park ) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST

Job loss during the Great Recession is upending retirement savings plans for many older workers. Fewer than a quarter of workers age 50 and older who lost their jobs between mid-2008 and the end of 2009 found work within 12 months, much lower than the reemployment rate for younger workers. Older displaced workers who find jobs must often accept deep pay cuts. These challenges highlight the need for more training and employment services for those 50 and older.

Age Differences in Job Loss, Job Search, and Reemployment

paffairs@urban.org ( Richard W. Johnson, Corina Mommaerts ) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST

Working longer is often hailed as the best way to increase retirement incomes, yet this strategy depends crucially on seniors ability to find work and hold on to their jobs. This study examines how the incidence and consequences of job displacement vary by age. Results show that older workers are less likely than younger workers to lose their jobs, but only because they generally have spent more time with their employers. When older workers lose their jobs, it takes them longer than their younger counterparts to become reemployed, and when they do find work they generally experience sharp wage declines.

Unemployed Older Workers Encounter Special Difficulties Finding Jobs

paffairs@urban.org ( Urban Institute ) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST

Workers age 50 and older were less likely than their younger coworkers to lose their jobs but took longer to find work when they became unemployed, and many accepted deep pay cuts, a Program on Retirement Policy publication explains. A companion report shows that, in the decade ending in 2007, age often shielded workers from layoff because older workers generally had more seniority than their younger counterparts.

Every Kid Counts in the District of Columbia: 17th Annual Fact Book 2010

Tue, 11 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST

The 17th annual Fact Book is a comprehensive data source for indicators of child well-being in the District of Columbia. It tracks the progression of child well-being over time, as well as differences in child well-being across wards and races/ethnicities. It is organized to reflect the six citywide goals for children and youth in DC: children are ready for school; children and youth succeed in school; children and youth are healthy and practice healthy behaviors; children and youth engage in meaningful activities; children and youth live in healthy, stable, and supportive families; and all youth make a successful transition to adulthood.

Pamela Loprest to Direct the Urban Institute's Income and Benefits Policy Center

paffairs@urban.org ( Urban Institute ) — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST

PamelaLoprest, a national authority on welfare and disability policy, became the director of the Urban Institutes Income and Benefits Policy Center on January 3, 2011.

Child Care Instability: Definitions, Context, and Policy Implications

paffairs@urban.org ( Gina Adams, Monica Rohacek ) — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EST

Child care instability affects children's development, parent's employment, and family stability. This paper describes why it matters, discusses definitional and measurement challenges, provides a framework to examine links between instability in child care and family domains, and examines the causes of instability (including child care subsidy policy and practice). Findings suggest that policies supporting stability in child care could interrupt the cascading effect of instability in other domains. Policy strategies to improve the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF)/Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), such as funding, voucher flexibility, eligibility, quality of care, and referral systems, are examined.