According to a 2023 Federal Reserve survey, 52 percent of US residents report that, at best, they’re just making ends meet and did not save any income in the previous month. Only 33 percent report they live comfortably. Yet conventional measures of economic insecurity, like the poverty rate, capture only acute need and don’t show the hardships of millions of people who struggle to pay bills and save for the future—people who are economically insecure and not poised to thrive.

To better understand families’ circumstances, their resources, and the costs of fully participating in today’s society and economy, the Urban Institute developed a “true cost of economic security” measure. We designed the measure with accuracy and replicability in mind, using high-quality publicly accessible data collected regularly to capture variations across states and all areas, allowing us to explore differences by age, family structure, and race and ethnicity.

Please join the Urban Institute and the National True Cost of Living Coalition, a partnership between the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies and the Community Service Society of New York, for a discussion on the new measure and how policymakers and researchers can leverage insights from this research to improve American families’ well-being.

Speakers

• Gregory Acs, Vice President for Income and Benefits Policy, Urban Institute
• Jennifer Jones Austin, CEO and Executive Director, Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies
• Mary K. Cunningham, Senior Vice President, Research Management and Program Development, Urban Institute
• Indivar Dutta-Gupta, Doris Duke Distinguished Visiting Fellow, McCourt School of Public Policy, Georgetown University
• Myra Jones-Taylor, Senior Vice President for Impact and External Affairs, Urban Institute
• José Pacas, Director of Data Leadership and Investment, Constellation Lab
• Sideya Sherman, Chief Equity Officer and Commissioner, New York City Mayor's Office of Equity and Racial Justice

We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals to engage fully. Please email [email protected] if you require any accommodations or have any questions about this event. 

Support for this event is provided by the National True Cost of Living Coalition, a partnership between the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies and the Community Service Society of New York. For more on Urban's funding policies, go to urban.org/about/organizational-principles.