Report says 29% of jobs offer low pay, no benefits
Arizona Republic
Feb. 26, 2008

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Author: Betty Beard, The Arizona Republic

Only about a quarter of jobs can be considered good jobs, meaning they pay at least $17 an hour or $34,000 a year, and offer health insurance and a retirement plans, says a new report from the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington, D.C.

Another 29 percent are considered bad jobs because they offer none of those characteristics and the rest are in-between, according to the report called Movin' On Up: Reforming America's Social Contract to Provide a Bridge to the Middle Class.

The share of good jobs is no higher than it was in 1979, even though the share of Americans with a high-school diploma increased by more than a quarter and the share of those with education beyond high school increased by 42 percent between 1979 and 2006, the report said.

To help more families reach middle class, the report's recommendations include raising the federal minimum wage to more than $8.50 an hour and increasing tax breaks and assistance for child care.

www.cepr.net