Working Hard, Falling Short

Summary

Too many American families are struggling to get by, advance to the middle class and provide a secure future for their children. This report takes a hard look at why so many working families are struggling, how state and federal policies are falling short, and what we can do to prevent the pursuit of the American dream from becoming a national nightmare. 

Table of Contents

• Executive Summary
• Introduction — A Distant Dream
• Chapter One — Working Hard to Make It: America’s Low-Income Working Families
• Chapter Two — A Challenging Environment for Low-Wage Workers
• Chapter Three — Strengthening the Commitment to Low-Income Working Families
• Chapter Four — Responding to a National Challenge: The Role of State and Federal Governments
• Appendix

Key Takeaway

For millions of families, the goal of economic self-sufficiency remains stubbornly out of reach

More than one in four working families in America now earn wages so low that they have difficulty surviving financially. Our society must do more to ensure that these workers can make ends meet and build a future for their families.