Vermont's Welfare Restructuring Project (WRP), which was implemented in 1994-2001, required that single-parent welfare recipients who could not find wage-paying jobs after receiving cash assistance for 30 months accept work in subsidized, minimum-wage community service employment (CSE) positions to satisfy their work requirement and improve their…

As of March 2008, over half of U.S. states are facing projected budget shortfalls for the coming fiscal year. During economic downturns such as this, opportunities available to hard-working, low-wage families are diminished. These conditions create growing concerns for policymakers who must, with fewer state resources, enhance opportunities and…

Sheltered workshops are asserted to be failing to provide mentally retarded clients with appropriate work experiences because of low wage rates, unavailability of work, changing industrial forecasts for blue collar employment, financial dependence, tax returns, segregation, and normalization issues. (Author/DB)

The U.S. Congress has mandated that the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) produce an annual report to help inform policymakers about the progress of education in the United States. Using data from across the center and from other sources of education data, "The Condition of Education 2015" presents 42 key indicators on…

This study presents indexes estimating the cost of living, value of amenities, and equilibrium wages in 579 cities and averages for the 50 states and the District of Columbia. An additional index of the cost of providing government public services is derived from these data. The indexes are intended to be useful tools for employees, unions,…

Outlines the legal implications of comparable worth and recent court cases involving equal pay isues. Points out that where jobs are comparable and wages disparate without justification, courts have found employers guilty of wage discrimination. (MD)

Charges that laziness and indifference among some teachers are due to unions and that recent declines in the quality of education are due to unprofessional teachers are unfounded. School board and administrator leadership and responsibility, including higher teacher wages and mutual respect between administration and the teacher union, are needed.…

The prospective place of the aging worker in the employment environment of the 21st century is examined. The following are among the specific topics discussed: (1) the real world of work and retirement; (2) the changing employment environment; (3) the restructuring of business in the United States; (4) globalization and the economy; (5) downsizing…

This report outlines the process involved in establishing a faculty union at the English Language Institute at the American University in Washington, D.C. The English Language Institute Faculty Association (ELIFA) is one of the few units to be certified at a private university since the 1980 Yeshiva Supreme Court decision. During the beginning…

This booklet provides an overview of the principal concepts of pension portability. Pension portability has become an area of increasing interest since a lack of portability discourages veteran teachers from seeking teaching opportunities in other districts or states. This obstacle can force teachers to abandon the profession, thus contributing to…

A salary-schedule compression is the process of reducing the number of salary schedule steps while still giving annual salary increases. Explains what school districts can do during negotiations to compress a schedule without awarding greater increases than originally intended. A sidebar shows a table for relating years of teaching experience to…

Most female workers in developing countries do not have wage jobs. However, the preponderance of female workers in non-wage jobs is not consistent across all developing countries. It is highly likely that the proportion of non-wage female workers in developing countries is greater than is suggested by the statistics. Consequently, mothers in the…

Many of Wisconsin's working families face economic distress, living from paycheck to paycheck and being forced to choose between paying their rent or buying food for their children. Parents under stress often cannot support their children with time, energy or resources. In order to affirm the importance of children in the state, and to help build…

Research shows that preschool produces the strongest effects when teachers are well qualified. Noting that most Head Start preschool teachers do not hold even the minimum teaching degrees required to teach kindergarten, this policy brief looks at the costs of putting highly qualified teachers in Head Start classrooms to improve the effectiveness…

The annual census of industrial employment, production workers, women, the workweek, scientists and engineers, chemical employment, wages, and productivity in the chemical industry is presented. Trends in the numbers of workers, productivity, and unit labor costs are illustrated in graphs. (CW)