June 2008: New York's Fiscal Policy Institute (FPI) released Working Families and Economic Security in New York: How Effectively Do Work Supports Bridge the Gaps?. Trudi Renwick, FPI, presented the report's findings to the governor's Economic Security Cabinet during their first regional town hall meeting in Schenectady, NY. According to the report, nearly one-in-three people in working families in New York--5.7 million New Yorkers--are unable to make ends meet, even after receiving work supports.
March 2008: Did you know there is no North Carolina county in which the average family with children can meet basic expenses for an amount less than 1.7 times the federal poverty level or 2.7 times the state's minimum wage? Get the facts on what it takes for families to bridge the gaps in Making Ends Meet on Low Wages: The 2008 North Carolina Living Income Standard by our partners at the NC Justice Center.
February 2008: According to a new report by Policy Matters Ohio, approximately 2.8 million Ohioans live in working families that do not earn enough to make ends meet. Bridging the Gaps in Ohio 2008 examines how public work supports help families get ahead, and offers policy recommendations to ensure that all working families have the opportunity to meet their basic needs.
January 2008: Informed by conversations with advocates, the Seattle Jobs Initiative's Bridging the Gaps in Washington: A Research Brief of Findings and Policy Recommendations for Work Supports that Work, is an excellent resource for Washington state's new legislative session.
December 2007: The Minnesota Policy Research & Analysis Network has released a new concise report on their quantitative and qualitative findings for the Bridging the Gaps project. The report can be found under Publications or on the JOBS NOW Coalition's website.
October 31, 2007: The Center for Social Policy at the University of Massachusetts Boston released their report, Bridging the Gaps Between Earnings and Basic Needs in Massachusetts, at the State House in Boston. For more information about the event, please click here. The full report and executive summary is available electronically on this website or at www.umb.edu/bridgingthegaps.
October 18, 2007: The Bridging the Gaps conference was a big success! Over 90 researchers and advocates from around the country participated in a day-long discussion of the future of work supports. Thank you to co-sponsors Senators Kennedy and Brown and Representatives Tierney and Miller for making the event possible. Audio recordings are available online. Video recordings will be available soon!
October 10, 2007: The Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) and the Center for Social Policy at the University of Massachusetts Boston (CSP) will host a national press teleconference to release the 10-state Bridging the Gaps Report. Contact Alan Barber for more information.
August 30, 2007: What does it take to get by in Texas? The Center for Public Policy Priorities' new report explains, and includes Bridging the Gaps findings on the eligibility gap in Texas.