WORK AND POVERTY

Most Americans believe that work is the answer to poverty. They are only partially right; a growing fraction of the workforce does not earn enough to lift a family above the federal poverty line. And many of those who want and need steady work cannot find it. CSS believes that an employment-based strategy to alleviate poverty can be effective, if it:

• Ensures that there are adequate job opportunities for those in need of work;
  
  
• Provides people with the skills required so that they can secure family-supporting jobs; and
  
  
• Fills the gap between low-wages and a decent standard of living.
  

Any poverty alleviation strategy should meet the following goals, as highlighted by CSS's research and advocacy:

Job creation strategies

Even when the economy is booming, finding steady work is a problem for less-skilled workers. Private sector employment growth needs to be bolstered through economic development programs and supplemented by government job creation efforts that target job opportunities toward those most in need.

Education and training programs

Entry-level jobs become dead-end jobs if workers do not have access to education and training. Publicly-funded worker training programs, integrated with job creation and economic development strategies, can be a successful tool in providing less-skilled workers with a ladder to higher wage employment.

An adequate standard of living

Public policy must do more to bridge the gap between the low wages and limited fringe benefits that less-skilled workers can command in the labor market and the needs of their families. Government can build a floor under the labor market by maintaining an adequate minimum wage; expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit can also reward work. In addition, many low-income working families need work supports such as health insurance and affordable and reliable childcare.

DISCONNECTED YOUTH

CSS has identified “disconnected youth” as an area of focus for the organization.  There are almost 170,000 young people ages 16 to 24 in New York City who are not in school nor in the labor force—nationally, this number is over four million.  CSS is seeking to increase the public investment to re-engage these youth and young adults in programs to improve their educational and job skills, in preparation for their entering and succeeding in the workforce. 

• Committee on Education of the Council of the City of New York (PDF)
• Presentation to the NYC Inter-Agency Coordinating Council on Youth (ICC) (PDF)
• Out of Focus: A Snapshot of Public Funding to Reconnect Youth to Education and Employment
  • Read the Full Report (PDF)
  • Public Funding Snapshot (PDF)
  • Moderator and Panelist bios (PDF)

Relevant CSS Publications

For further information, contact CSS at info@cssny.org.