http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus.xml?type=employment_strategies In Focus articles from the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) en-us Sat, 18 May 2013 22:35:04 -0500 info@clasp.org webmaster@clasp.org 40 Fri, 12 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=employment_strategies&id=0051 The PresidentaEUR(TM)s budget blueprint released on Wednesday calls for Congress to support employment and job training opportunities for the long-term unemployed and low-income adults and youth through the Pathways Back to Work Fund. Even as the economy recovers, too many unemployed workers and individuals with low education and skill levels face a difficult job market. This legislative proposal, which was introduced as part of the American Jobs Act, builds on the successful, two-year program funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that provided jobs for about 260,000 people in 39 states and the District of Columbia. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=employment_strategies&id=0051 Thu, 07 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=employment_strategies&id=0050 Subsidized and transitional jobs are a proven way to give unemployed workers the opportunity to earn wages, build skills, and connect to the labor market, while also giving businesses an incentive to hire new employees when they might not have been able to do so otherwise. A variety of non-profit, social enterprise, and city and state public entities have operated transitional jobs and subsidized employment programs for almost 30 years. Funding from the TANF Emergency Fund in 2009-2010, part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), enabled the operation of such programs at a larger scale, and in more places, than had previously occurred. More than 260,000 individuals were placed in subsidized positions in 39 states and the District of Columbia. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=employment_strategies&id=0050 Tue, 20 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=employment_strategies&id=0049 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=employment_strategies&id=0049 Wed, 04 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=employment_strategies&id=0048 Following the enactment of recent federal legislation, work sharing - a strategy to reduce unemployment and help businesses and workers weather economic downturns - is getting a major boost to help more states buffer their economies and communities. This is the focus of a new report, A Breakthrough for Work Sharing: A Summary of the Layoff Prevention Act of 2012, released this week by CLASP and the National Employment Law Project (NELP). http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=employment_strategies&id=0048 Fri, 09 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=employment_strategies&id=0047 Unemployment remained stable this month, and is now down 0.8 percentage points since August 2011, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data reported today. Despite this improvement, less educated workers continue to struggle and have unemployment rates significantly higher than the national average. One strategy to address the ongoing jobs crisis among low-skill workers is transitional jobs, which combine temporary subsidized jobs with case management, job readiness and skills-building activities. Earlier this week the Social IMPACT Research Center released its evaluation of Chicago Neighborhood JobStart, a transitional jobs program funded in part through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=employment_strategies&id=0047 Fri, 17 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=employment_strategies&id=0046 Millions of jobless workers will continue to receive federally funded unemployment benefits through the end of 2012 thanks to the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act, which Congress passed today. The complex bill, a far-from-perfect compromise struck by a House and Senate conference committee, also extends the payroll tax cut through 2012, extends Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grants to states through Fiscal Year 2012 and avoids a cut to the Medicare reimbursement rate for doctors. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=employment_strategies&id=0046 Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=employment_strategies&id=0045 Even as the job market begins to slowly recover, low-skilled workers continue to struggle and have unemployment rates significantly higher than the national average. President Obama's budget blueprint released Monday lays out spending priorities for the nation. The proposal calls for Congress to support employment and job training opportunities for unemployed workers through the Pathways Back to Work Fund. This proposal indicates that the president recognizes that the economic recovery must be inclusive to be complete. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=employment_strategies&id=0045 Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=employment_strategies&id=0044 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=employment_strategies&id=0044 Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=employment_strategies&id=0043 It's hard to believe that some members of Congress want to make it harder for unemployed workers to get benefits that help them and their families keep their heads above water while they search for a job. As part of the price for extending federal unemployment benefits, House Republicans want to add a provision that denies benefits to workers without a high school diploma or equivalent if they cannot prove they are enrolled in a credential-granting program. Another proposal would require all UI claimants to submit to drug testing as a condition of eligibility. These provisions literally add insult to injury, suggesting that it is unemployed workers' fault that they can't find jobs, no matter how bad the economy. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=employment_strategies&id=0043 Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=employment_strategies&id=0042 Conferees from the U.S. House and Senate currently are considering an Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits extension proposal that includes two highly controversial provisions-drug testing all UI applicants and denying benefits to those without a high school diploma or equivalent-that would penalize the most vulnerable workers http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=employment_strategies&id=0042 Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=employment_strategies&id=0041 In last night's State of the Union address, President Obama laid out an ambitious goal to train 2 million American workers with the skills that will lead directly to a job. At a time when 13 million Americans are unemployed and employers are seeking to hire individuals with the right skill sets, this is an important step in the right direction for our economy. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=employment_strategies&id=0041 Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=employment_strategies&id=0040 Faced with sustained unemployment and a fragile economy, more states are taking steps to ease the impact of layoffs and address the jobs crisis. In January 2012, New Jersey, with overwhelming bipartisan support, became the most recent addition to the ranks of states with work sharing programs, which allow employers to reduce employees' hours instead of slashing the number of employees on their payrolls. In Virginia, a bipartisan group of state senators has introduced a bill to create a work sharing program. A similar effort is underway during Indiana's 2012 legislative session. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=employment_strategies&id=0040 Fri, 23 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=employment_strategies&id=0039 Millions of jobless workers and their families have a little less to worry about today after the U.S. House, under tremendous public and political pressure, passed a bill that extends federal unemployment insurance benefits for an additional two months. The bill also extends the payroll tax cut and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grant, among other provisions. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=employment_strategies&id=0039 Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=employment_strategies&id=0038 Dec. 31 this year brings a sense of foreboding for millions of jobless workers instead of a time for renewal and resolutions. By the end of January, more than 1.2 million workers and their families will lose their unemployment insurance benefits if Congress fails to act, leaving the question: Why are lawmakers not laser focused on the needs of the nation's families? http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=employment_strategies&id=0038 Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=employment_strategies&id=0037 Once again Washington lawmakers are demonstrating how disconnected they are from the daily lives of ordinary people. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=employment_strategies&id=0037 Mon, 12 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=employment_strategies&id=0036 The House of Representatives today is scheduled to review a bill introduced by Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI) that puts ideology before the broader needs of the public. While the bill extends the payroll tax deduction, it limits the availability of federally funded unemployment assistance, includes punitive provisions for the least skilled jobless workers and inexplicably ties needed UI benefits and payroll tax reductions to permits for the Keystone pipeline. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=employment_strategies&id=0036 Fri, 02 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=employment_strategies&id=0035 Unemployment dropped to 8.6 percent in November and employers added 120,000 jobs. This news reveals some progress, but a deeper look at trends show the nation has yet to reach a turning point in the jobs crisis. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=employment_strategies&id=0035 Wed, 30 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=employment_strategies&id=0034 While many news stories do a good job of illustrating the weak economyaEUR(TM)s impact on families, they often fail to demonstrate how action, or inaction, on Capitol Hill affects peopleaEUR(TM)s everyday realities. In other words, public policy can make a difference and our elected officials should be held accountable. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=employment_strategies&id=0034 Wed, 30 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=employment_strategies&id=0033 As federal lawmakers continue to negotiate the right fix for the nation's high unemployment, one state has stepped up and passed a jobs bill that includes provisions to aid low-skill workers by funding subsidized jobs. Connecticut's Act Promoting Economic Growth and Job Creation in the State passed nearly unanimously in both houses of the state Legislature, and Gov. Dannel P. Malloy signed the bipartisan bill into law recently. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=employment_strategies&id=0033 Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=employment_strategies&id=0032 A bill introduced today would address the ongoing jobs crisis by creating work and educational opportunities for unemployed workers, those who can't qualify for unemployment benefits and other disadvantaged individuals. While the nation has dealt with an unemployment rate hovering around 9 percent or higher since 2009, policymakers cannot allow this to become a new normal. This is the third scaled-down jobs bill based on provisions in the Americans Jobs Act to be introduced in the past month. Two other measures failed to get enough votes to move past debate. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=employment_strategies&id=0032