Browsing by Author "Ross, Martha"

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    Meet the Low-Wage Workforce
    Ross, Martha; Bateman, Nicole (The Brookings Institute, 2019-11-01)
    This paper strives to show the diversity among low-wage workers at the national and regional levels, in order to better inform strategies to help them improve their employment prospects. A foundational issue, however, is which low wage workers to assist. Conceptually, it is clear: Public policy has a role in assisting economically vulnerable low-wage workers who rely entirely or substantially on those low wages to support themselves and their families, particularly if they appear to be unlikely to advance to higher-paid jobs. Pinpointing this population in the data, however, is more challenging. Although there are common approaches, there is no consensus definition of a low-wage worker. Additionally, population-level data do not provide a clear yes-or-no answer as to whether a low-wage job is a way station or a permanent destination for any given person, although it is possible to make inferences based on factors such as age and education.
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    Meet the millions of young adults who are out of work
    Ross, Martha; Bateman, Nicole (The Brookings Institute, 2019-04-01)
    This report and accompanying interactive data tool provide a unique perspective on young adults ages 18-24 who are out of work, focusing on those in mid to large cities and counties. The authors use cluster analysis to segment out-of-work young adults into groups likely to benefit from similar types of employment and education-related assistance, based on factors such as educational attainment, work history, school enrollment, disability, English language proficiency, and family status. Through the cluster analysis, they identify five groups of out-of-work young adults, and then introduce fictionalized personas as examples of people in each of the groups. Lastly, the report provides recommendations for state, local, civic, and institutional leaders to help more young people successfully navigate the transition into the labor market.