Search results for: Job Gap

The Myth of an Honest Living: When One Job Just Isn’t Enough

It is a basic American value: Hard work should earn you a paycheck that pays enough to survive. In this land of opportunity, an honest living should provide enough to make a living. However, as we find in our upcoming Job Gap Study — which calculates the living wage in Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, andContinue reading “The Myth of an Honest Living: When One Job Just Isn’t Enough”

Living wage jobs are scarce in Northwest and Colorado

The recently released 2010 Northwest Job Gap Study, Searching for Work that Pays looks at living wages in each county in Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington. The study also compares the number of job openings paying a living wage to the number of job seekers in each state. The key findings are disturbing: 48%Continue reading “Living wage jobs are scarce in Northwest and Colorado”

Still Struggling to Make Ends Meet 2022: A report on living wages in Washington State

Over the last two years, the Covid-19 pandemic has triggered many changes in American life, but workers in Washington State and across the country continue to face difficulties making ends meet. Hazard pay premiums for essential workers have temporarily boosted worker pay, but inflation through February 2022 was at its highest rate since 1982, erasingContinue reading “Still Struggling to Make Ends Meet 2022: A report on living wages in Washington State”

Publications & Reports

AJS has published dozens of research reports, studies and other publications about the issues crucial to struggling communities. Critical data, policy analysis, and participatory research can all help shift the narrative and advance demands to improve communities. Recent Publications Child care is essential for student parents to succeed. This report from Communities for Our CollegesContinue reading “Publications & Reports”

Instead of Building Walls, Build an Economy That Works for All

The Supreme Court announced Tuesday that it will take up a case that challenges President Barack Obama’s executive actions that deferred the deportation of 5 million undocumented immigrants. News coverage of this development naturally was dominated by the two words that are sure to make any news story go viral: “procedural battle.” Okay, perhaps suchContinue reading “Instead of Building Walls, Build an Economy That Works for All”

Pay Up! $15 in Not A Living Wage in Most of the Country

Throughout the nation, the call for a $15 minimum wage is rightfully gaining momentum and – if enacted – would lift millions of low-wage workers from struggle to stability. While detractors suggest the wage is too high, a new report by the Alliance for a Just Society released today shows that $15 is really a modest demand.Continue reading “Pay Up! $15 in Not A Living Wage in Most of the Country”

Collective Bargaining is a Valuable Tool for Workers to Make Ends Meet

Working full-time should allow workers to make ends meet; instead, many workers across the country continue to be paid wages that leave them living paycheck-to-paycheck. As we’ve shown in our Job Gap Economic Prosperity Series since 1999, a living wage is well above the minimum wage that too many workers are paid. Our recent report,Continue reading “Collective Bargaining is a Valuable Tool for Workers to Make Ends Meet”

Labor Day: “When Unions Are Strong, Everyone is Strong”

For Immediate Release September 3, 2015 Contact: Kathy Mulady, communications director kathy@allianceforajustsociety.org (206) 568-5400 or (206) 992-8787 Celebrate Labor Day: Strong Unions Make a Strong Economy for All It’s one of our basic values in the United States: If you work full-time and work hard, you should earn enough to support yourself. But we alsoContinue reading “Labor Day: “When Unions Are Strong, Everyone is Strong””

States Must Do More to Support Workers and Families

“Get a Better Job!” “Get an Education!” “Pull Yourself Up by Your Bootstraps!” Too often when workers struggle to make ends meet, these are the messages they hear. Unfortunately, these messages set unrealistic expectations. Rather than creating an environment that helps ensure working families can succeed, too many states set up systems that that workContinue reading “States Must Do More to Support Workers and Families”