Working Hard, Falling Short

The Mythical Middle Class

Well-paying jobs that offer a reliable path to the middle class are disappearing. Today, one out of every five positions—24 million jobs total—pays so little that it cannot keep a family of four above the poverty level.

Education Pays

In the last 30 years, real wages for workers without a high school degree declined 19% while wages for workers with a college degree increased 16%.

Improvement Plan

This report shares four ways we can improve economic opportunities for low-income working families. One idea: strengthen state and federal policies to expand enrollment in post-secondary education, targeted skills training and adult literacy programs.

Race Matters

Working families with a minority parent are twice as likely to be low-income relative to working families with white parents.

The Bigger Picture

The Working Poor Families Project, with the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s support, has invested three years working in 15 states to examine both the conditions of low-income working families and public policies that can help improve their lives.