Work & POVERTY STUDIES
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Reports
Out of Focus: A Snapshot of Public Funding to Reconnect Youth to Education and Employment (PDF)
June 2008. By Lazar Treschan and Christine Molnar.
Public Funding Snapshot: New York City Services for Disconnected Youth (PDF)
June 2008. Community Service Society.
A New York State Career Pathways Fund: Advancing the Skills of Low-Income Workers and Meeting the Demands of Business (PDF). November 2007.
A Proposal Submitted by: Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, Community Service Society, Community Voices Heard, Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies, Fiscal Policy Institute, Hunger Action Network of New York State, Literacy New York, New York Association of Training and Employment Professionals, New York City Employment and Training Coalition, Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy, The Workforce Alliance.
Mapping Poverty in New York City: Pinpointing the Impact of Poverty, Community by Community (PDF)
March 2008. A report prepared by the Community Service Society for United Way of New York City.
New Yorkers are living with the effects of poverty in every part of New York City, but the experience of poverty remains closely tied to place. This series of maps explores the interconnection of factors such as concentrated poverty, employment, housing resources, and immigration in New York City neighborhoods.
Unemployment and Joblessness in New York City, 2006 (PDF)
February 2007. By Mark Levitan, Senior
Policy Analyst.
In 2006 New York City enjoyed a third full year of economic recovery. The most impressive indicator of health of the labor market is New York's unemployment rate, which fell to an annual average of 4.9 percent. The 2006 unemployment rate is not only lower than the 5.7 percent rate the city experienced in 2000, the peak year of the prior economic expansion, it is the lowest New York City unemployment rate in recent memory.
Poverty in New
York, 2005 (PDF)
September 2006. By Mark Levitan, Senior
Policy Analyst.
A four-year rise in the city's poverty rate came to an end in 2005, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Bureau of the Census.
However, poverty increased for two key groups: Working families, and families headed by single mothers. Working families at the lower end of the pay scale have seen a steady decline in earnings since the late 1990s.
Shortchanging
Security: How Poor Training, Low Pay and Lack of
Job Protection for Security Guards Undermine Public
Safety in New York City (PDF)
May 2006. By Nancy Rankin, Director of Policy Research,
and Mark Levitan, Senior Labor Market Policy Analyst.
New York City’s 63,000 security guards provide the first
line of defense for building tenants and visitors. Given
the significance of their responsibilities the public might take
it for granted that the firms supplying security guard services
would provide their workers with an adequate wage, benefits such
as healthcare, and sufficient training to competently respond
to emergencies. This report finds that, for the most part,
they do not. Because the guards are being shortchanged,
so is public safety.
Unemployment
and Joblessness in New York City, 2005 (PDF)
March 2006. By Mark Levitan, Senior Policy Analyst
A new labor report reveals that while the city’s unemployment
rate fell between 2003 and 2005, a smaller share of the working population
was employed. A larger proportion of the unemployed were jobless
for more than 26 weeks – the cutoff for Unemployment Insurance
benefits - and real weekly earning for workers in the middle
and bottom rungs of the wage ladder were down in 2005 compared
to 2000
Poverty in New
York, 2004 (PDF)
September 2005. By Mark Levitan, Senior
Policy Analyst.
The latest data from the U.S. Bureau of the Census indicate that
the end of the recession has yet to end the rise in poverty. The
nation's poverty rate rose for the third year in a row. Much of
the increase was due to an increase in poverty among children.
Out
of School, Out of Work . . . Out of Luck? New York City’s
Disconnected Youth (PDF)
January 2005. By Mark Levitan,
Senior Policy Analyst.
This report reveals that 16 percent
of New York City's 16 through 24-year-olds are neither enrolled
in school nor participating in the labor market. These nearly
170,000 young people are "disconnected." The report
tracks school enrollment and labor force participation trends
since the late 1980s. It also explores disparities between gender,
race, and ethnic groups. The city's African-American and Hispanic
youth, it finds, are twice as likely as Whites and Asians to be
out of school and out of work.
Unemployment and
Joblessness in New York City, 2004: Better, But Still a Long Way
to Go (PDF)
February 2005. By Mark Levitan, Senior Policy
Analyst.
Although New York City's labor market is growing stronger, the
effects of the 2000 to 2003 recession continue to linger. Unemployment
remains higher and the jobholding rate lower than their pre-recession
2000 levels.
Poverty in New York,
2003 (PDF)
September 2004. By Mark Levitan, Senior Policy
Analyst.
The latest data from the U.S. Bureau of the Census indicate that
the end of the recession has yet to end the rise in poverty. The
nation's poverty rate rose for the third year in a row. Much of
the increase was due to an increase in poverty among children.
A
Crisis of Black Male Employment: Unemployment and Joblessness in
New York City, 2003 (PDF)
February 2004. By Mark Levitan,
Senior Policy Analyst.
The latest data show that the local job market remains weak.
Sustained employment growth is not yet evident. And unemployment
remains high.
Job
Market Realities and Federal Welfare Policy. (PDF)
September
2003. By Mark Levitan and Robin Gluck.
An update of their previous report -- Recession and Reauthorization
-- on the effects of the current state of the economy on low-income
single mothers.
Poverty
in New York, 2002: One-Fifth of the City Lives Below the Federal
Poverty Line. (PDF)
September 2003. By Mark Levitan.
The latest data from the U.S. Bureau of the Census indicate that
the recession and subsequent "job loss" recovery are pushing ever
more Americans into poverty. The nation's poverty rate rose for
a second year in a row, from 11.7 percent in 2001 to 12.1 percent
in 2002. From its pre-recession low in 2000, the U.S. poverty
rate has now climbed 0.8 percentage points.
Recession
and Reauthorization: The Economic Downturn and Federal Welfare Policy.
(PDF)
April 2003. By Mark Levitan and Robin Gluck.
This CSS Brief details the impact of the recession on the employment
and earnings of single mothers across the U.S. We find that for
the nationęs single mothers, jobholding is down, unemployment
is up and real wage growth has slowed. The labor market prospects
for those single mothers without education beyond high school
are particularly dim.
A
Portrait of Inequality: Unemployment and Joblessness in New York
City, 2002 (PDF)
February 2003. By Mark Levitan.
It has been over two years since the demise of the dot com boom
and Wall Streetęs tumble from exuberance to funk. Although the
local recession first took hold at the high end of the city economy,
much of the subsequent burden of joblessness has been shouldered
by New Yorkers further down the income ladder.
Mothers'
Work: Single Mothers' Employment, Earnings and Poverty in the Age
of Welfare Reform. (PDF)
September 2002. By Mark Levitan
and Robin Gluck.
Mothers' Work explores trends in employment, earnings, and poverty
among single mothers in New York City and the nation in the context
of the 1996 overhaul of the nation's welfare system and the boom
in employment opportunities in the second half of the 1990's.
The report finds that there has been a remarkable rise in job
holding by single mothers. Yet low wages, less than steady full-time
work, and an inadequate system of income support combine to produce
high rates of poverty in families headed by working single mothers.
Poverty
in New York City 2001: Recession Ends Late Nineties Decline in Poverty
Rate. (PDF)
September 2002. By Mark Levitan.
The current recession has ended the decline in the city's poverty
rate that began in the mid-1990s. Despite record rates of employment
growth and an overhaul in welfare policy, the New York City poverty
rate at the end of the economic expansion of the 1990s was no
lower than it had been at the prior business cycle peak, the end
of the 1980s.
Who
Needs a Living Wage? A Living Wage Law Would Increase Earnings for
New York City's Most Disadvantaged Workers.
(PDF)
April 2002. By Mark Levitan and Robin Gluck.
This data brief considers the need for a living wage in New York
City in light of three questions. What proportion of the NYC workforce
earns less than the proposed living wage--$8.10 per hour? Has
the proportion of workers earning below a living wage increased
over time? And who are NYC's low wage earners? The brief finds
that the majority of workers in need of a living wage are adults,
working full-time. They are disproportionately people of color,
immigrants, less well educated, and they live in low-income families.
Poverty in New
York City, 2000: Hispanics Make Dramatic Gains, for Blacks it's
Business as Usual.
October 2001. By Mark Levitan.
Poverty rates in New York City fell in the economic expansion
of the late 1990's. The decline in poverty among Hispanic New
Yorkers was particularly dramatic, especially in comparison to
Black city residents.
Building
a Ladder to Jobs and Higher Wages: A Report by the Working Group
on New York City's Low-Wage Labor Market. (PDF)
October
2000. By the Working Group on New York City's Low-Wage Labor Market.
The Working Group, convened by the Community Service Society,
brought together a wide variety of representatives from business
and labor, policy analysts from government and advocacy organization,
university-based scholars, and worker training practitioners.
The report provides an in-depth analysis of the New York's low-wage
economy and makes a comprehensive set of recommendations in the
areas of job creation, workforce development, living standards,
and the need for an ongoing social safety net.
A Rising Tide
Lifts Some Boats: Poverty Rates for New York City, 1999.
September 2000. By Mark Levitan
This annual update on local poverty trends finds that although
the New York City poverty rate fell in the second half of the
1990's, the wide gap between the city and national poverty rate
persists.
More Work, More
School,¸More Poverty? The Changing Face of Poor Families in New
York City.
April 2000. By Mark Levitan.
More New Yorkers are working and education levels have risen,
yet poverty rates remain high. A result of these trends is that
a rising share of the city's poor families with children include
two parents, a household head with at least a high school degree,
and a worker.
The Unfinished Business of Welfare Reform: Fixing Government
Policies That Exclude the Working Poor from Benefits. November
1999. By Ellen Amstutz.
After three years of welfare reform in NYC welfare rolls continue
to fall. A disturbing trend is that former recipients, and those
stopped from applying by new policies, have lost Medicaid, Food
Stamps, and childcare subsidies, benefits that encourage and support
work. Although most who found jobs earned more than they would
have received on welfare, many who leave welfare for jobs find
it difficult to survive without supports that go with welfare
grants.
Poverty in New York:
A CSS Data Brief. October 1999. by Mark Levitan.
Despite the booming economy one-in-four New York City residents
continue to live below the poverty line. Well over one-in-three
of the city's children are poor. And poverty rates for Black and
Hispanic New Yorkers tower above those for Whites.
New York City's Labor Market, 1994-1997: Profiles and Perspectives.
November 1998. By Mark Levitan.
Examines the New York City labor market by detailing the labor
force status of its residents. The report focuses on the issue
of joblessness. Not only is a high proportion of the city labor
unemployed but a comparatively low fraction of the adult population
is either working or looking for work.
Income Support for the Working Poor. March 1998. By Mark
Levitan.
Many who work, even those who work steadily at full-time jobs
do not earn enough to lift a family out of poverty. An increase
in the minimum wage and an expansion of the Earned Income Tax
Credit are needed to make work a path out of poverty.
Opportunity at Work: The New York City Garment Industry.
By Mark Levitan. May 1998.
For generations New York's garment industry generated employment
opportunities for recent immigrants with little formal education.
Can it play the same role for women leaving welfare? Trends in
garment industry employment and earnings shed light on the challenges
faced by single mothers who are trying to support their families
by work in the city's low-wage labor market.
Income Support for the Working Poor. March 1998. By Ellen
Amstutz and Mark Levitan.
Many who work, even those who work steadily at full-time jobs
do not earn enough to lift a family out of poverty. An increase
in the minimum wage and an expansion of the Earned Income Tax
Credit are needed to make work a path out of poverty.
Testimony
New York State Division of Budget. (PDF) November 29, 2007.
Testimony of Jeremy Reiss, Director, Workforce Mobility Initiatives, Community Service Society.
Committee on Education of the Council of the City of New York. (PDF) November 14, 2007.
Testimony of Lazar Treschan, Director, Disconnected Youth Campaign. Community Service Society.
Presentation to the NYC Inter-Agency Coordinating Council on Youth (ICC). (PDF) September 25, 2007.
Testimony of Lazar Treschan, Director, Disconnected Youth Campaign. Community Service Society.
Oversight Hearing:
Poverty Growth in New York City. (PDF) November 15, 2005.
Testimony of Nancy A. Rankin, Director of Policy Research and
Advocacy
Community Service Society of New York
CITY
COUNCIL HEARINGS ON LOW-WAGE JOB LOSS AS A RESULT OF 9/11. (PDF)
April 8, 2002.
TESTIMONY OF DAVID R. JONES, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER,
COMMUNITY SERVICE SOCIETY OF NEW YORK
HELD BY THE COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
HEARINGS
IN RESPONSE TO THE GOVERNOR’S EXECUTIVE BUDGET. (PDF) February
26, 2002.
TESTIMONY OF DAVID R. JONES, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER,
COMMUNITY SERVICE SOCIETY OF NEW YORK
HELD BY THE NEW YORK STATE LEGISLATIVE JOINT COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT
Rebuilding the Lives
of New York’s Low-Income Workers (PDF) December 8, 2001.
Remarks by David R. Jones
President, Community Service Society of New York
Citizens Budget Commission
Reframing Priorities in Light of September 11th
Panel
The Fulbright Institute on the Civilization of the United States panel
June 30th, 2008 — Jeremy Reiss, Director of Workforce Mobility Initiatives, participated in a panel by The Fulbright Institute on the Civilization of the United States for a multinational group of university professors. The panel, "Poverty in America: Social Responsibility and Individual Self-Reliance," examined the question of why America tolerates greater disparities in income and more relative poverty than most other industrial nations. Mr. Reiss critiqued the role of US government in promoting social responsibility. In doing so, he presented data from CSS's 2007 annual survey of low-income New Yorkers, "The Unheard Third," as well as the rationale behind CSS's policy framework.
Learn more about The Fulbright Institute on the Civilization of the United States at: http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/humsocsci/mias/
Archives
Where the Jobs Are: How Labor Market Conditions in the New
York City Area Will Affect the Employment Prospects of Public Assistance
Recipients, Report to Community Service Society. April 1997.
By Appleseed: Hugh O'Neill, Kathryn Garcia, and Kathryn McCormick.
In order to better understand the challenge of welfare reform,
the Community Service Society asked Appleseed to assess conditions
in, and the outlook for, the New York area labor market, particularly
in these segments of economy where people with limited education
and work experience might find employment.
Poverty in New York City, 1996: An Update and Perspectives.
June 1997. A Report to the Community Service Society of New York.
Prepared by Stephanie Aaronson and Stephen V. Cameron.
This report documents the socio-economic status of the low-income
population in New York City from 1980 through 1996
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