News Releases

• Feb 16, 2010 One Year Later: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Much of the recent public discourse on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has focused on whether it created a quantifiable number of jobs and to what degree it has and continues to stimulate the economy. These are important policy questions, but we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that "reinvestment" in the nation's social infrastructure is a significant piece of the Recovery Act and equally essential to short- and long-term recovery.
• Feb 05, 2010 Slight Drop in Unemployment Promising But No Reason to Cheer Today's unemployment report showed some glimmers of light, but also how far we have to go before a true recovery. The nation's overall unemployment rate declined by .3 percent and there was a significant drop in involuntary part-time employment. Unfortunately, long-term unemployment continued to rise and low-skill workers and minority workers, continue to face very difficult challenges in the labor market. Projections are that these populations are likely to experience very high rates of unemployment for quite some time.
• Feb 01, 2010 President's Budget Proposal Includes Critical Investments in Programs That Affect Low-Income People The president's budget recognizes that a key to shared, long-term economic prosperity is investing in programs that provide low-income people with the supports and tools they need to move out of poverty.
• Jan 27, 2010 CLASP Statement Regarding State of the Union In this time of increasing economic insecurity, rising unemployment and increasing poverty, the American public demands bold solutions that will put people to work and provide them with a foundation for long-term economic security.
• Jan 08, 2010 Prolonged High Unemployment Could Have Serious Long-Term Consequences Unemployment depletes family resources, which has negative consequences for children. And for young people, joblessness early in their careers diminishes their long-term career prospects.
• Dec 18, 2009 2010 Appropriations Measure Includes Money to Help Disadvantaged Individuals Get Jobs Earlier this week, President Obama signed the FY 2010 appropriations bill for Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies, which for the first time provides federal funding for transitional jobs to help people with barriers to employment, such as ex-offenders and long-term welfare recipients, enter the workforce.
• Dec 17, 2009 Jobs Measure a Good First Step for Low-Income Workers, But More Targeted Interventions Are Needed If the jobs situation is a problem for the nation, it is a profound crisis for low-income workers and their families, especially people of color, workers who lack some postsecondary credentials, and disadvantaged youth.
• Dec 04, 2009 Jobs Creation Should Also Focus on Low-Income, Low-Skill Populations As the nation's lawmakers consider strategies to get more Americans back to work, they should weigh a range of policy solutions that will ensure workers and families hardest hit have the supports they need to access jobs and meet their basic needs.
• Nov 06, 2009 Bill to Extend Unemployment Comes as Unemployment Reaches Double Digits President Obama today signed a bill that will extend unemployment insurance for millions of workers who are on the verge of exhausting their benefits. The bill signing comes amid other news that the economy is showing signs of recovery, though unemployment at 10.2 percent is at its highest level in 26 years.
• Nov 04, 2009 New Report Reveals Higher State Poverty Rates Based on Alternative Measure The percent of Americans living in poverty is higher than the current poverty measure captures, according to a new CLASP report that, for the first time, lists how poverty rates change in each state using a modern poverty measure.
• Oct 29, 2009 Recovery Remains a Long Way Off for Unemployed and Low-Income Americans
• Aug 26, 2009 Sen. Kennedy a Prolific Advocate for Low-Income Americans Sen. Kennedy's deep conviction for social justice was evident in the many causes he championed and the bills that bear his name.
• Jul 16, 2009 American Graduation Initiative Bold Step Toward Transforming Workforce The Obama Administration's proposed American Graduation Initiative represents a bold federal effort to help more Americans gain the knowledge and skills they need to get ahead and that our country needs to compete globally.
• Apr 03, 2009 Rising Unemployment Calls for Swift Use of Existing Policy Tools, and New Policy Solutions The nation's continually rising unemployment rate underscores the urgent need for states to take full advantage of provisions in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that provide relief for workers facing economic distress, and it calls for making better use of policy solutions designed to help workers through tough economic times.
• Mar 31, 2009 New Website Helps States Working to Boost Economic Competitiveness Shifting Gears is a Joyce Foundation-sponsored initiative that aims to promote regional economic growth by aligning adult education, workforce development and postsecondary education in five Midwestern states - Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin.
• Mar 27, 2009 Under Used Work Sharing Program Could Help Curb Rising Layoffs Work sharing, a program that allows employers to reduce work hours instead of jobs, could provide an alternative to layoffs and help ease mounting unemployment, according to Work Sharing-an Alternative to Layoffs for Tough Time, a paper published today by CLASP.
• Mar 25, 2009 CLASP Statement on House and Senate Budget Proposals We are pleased that both bills presented today by chairmen of the House and Senate Budget Committees reflect the priorities laid out by the President and include investments in health care reform, education, and clean energy, while committing to fiscal responsibility and reducing the federal deficit.
• Mar 20, 2009 Souring Economy Requires Investment in Programs That Help Families The budget projections that Congressional Budget Office released today show that the nation is facing an even tougher economic environment than anyone projected even a month ago. At this critical moment, it is all the more important that the nation's policymakers assist struggling families to stay afloat and make sound investments in families and the nation's economic future.
• Feb 13, 2009 Economic Recovery Package Signicant Step Toward Shoring Up the Safety Net The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that lawmakers are expected to send to President Obama in the coming days is a significant and welcome first step in shoring up the nation's tattered safety net and ensuring the most vulnerable Americans share the benefits of economic recovery.
• Feb 10, 2009 Senate Recovery Package Addresses Urgent Needs We are pleased that senators came to a compromise and passed the recovery act. Ordinary Americans continue to feel the everyday consequences of slow action, including mounting job losses and trouble meeting basic needs such as food and shelter. Low-income Americans are especially hard hit by this recession and in need of the jobs, tax relief and other provisions this bill provides.