Author Blog Wesley Tharpe Worker Justice Georgia Workers Deserve an Economy That Works for Them August 27, 2014 / January 15, 2020 by Wesley Tharpe | 2 Comments on Georgia Workers Deserve an Economy That Works for Them Like many Georgians I grew up in a family hanging on tightly to the middle rungs of the economic ladder. My father drove old cars until they literally fell apart on the road, and my mother clipped coupons religiously from the Sunday paper. My older sister and I slept under a mountain of blankets in […] Read more »
Author Blog Cash and Safety Net Taifa Smith Butler Worker Justice Keep Working Families Top of Mind for Georgia’s Future August 7, 2014 / January 15, 2020 by Taifa Smith Butler A worker who earned $32,000 to $58,000 a year when the recession hit in 2007 was much more likely to lose a job than workers at the high and low ends of the spectrum. That’s because mid-wage industries lost the most jobs during the recession, as GBPI documented in a recent report. During Georgia’s slow […] Read more »
Author Blog Wesley Tharpe Worker Justice Price to Get Top Business Climate Rank Could be Economic Inequality July 24, 2014 / January 15, 2020 by Wesley Tharpe When states like Georgia rate well as places to do business, the same factors used in those rankings also appear to create a climate for economic inequality, according to a new report. The new analysis finds states that tend to rank well on business climate indexes, like the ones published by Forbes Magazine and the […] Read more »
Author Blog Cash and Safety Net Melissa Johnson Georgia Gets an “F” for Failing Working Parents July 17, 2014 / January 15, 2020 by Melissa Johnson Georgia is failing its working moms and dads, according to a new report by the National Partnership for Women & Families. In its most recent edition of “Expecting Better,” the group assigned Georgia an ”F” after comparing policies in each state meant to protect and support working parents. Georgia leaders tout the state’s recent high […] Read more »
Author Blog Wesley Tharpe Worker Justice Georgia’s Middle Class Workers Left Out of Recovery July 17, 2014 / January 15, 2020 by Wesley Tharpe Industries in Georgia that pay a middle-class wage fell furthest during the Great Recession but are faring the worst during the economic recovery. Georgia’s mid-wage industries comprised 52 percent of private sector job losses during the recession, but only 15 percent of gains during the recovery. Cuts to state and local budgets worsen the problem […] Read more »
Author Featured Library Policy Areas Reports Wesley Tharpe Worker Justice Bad Times for Good Jobs July 17, 2014 / January 15, 2020 by Wesley Tharpe Georgia’s Shrinking Middle Class Opportunity A good-paying job is the cornerstone of a secure middle-class life, but Georgia’s private sector economy is failing to provide enough of them. Industries in Georgia that pay a middle-class wage suffered most during the Great Recession, and have come back more slowly than low- and high-wage industries during the […] Read more »
Author Budget and Taxes Library Policy Areas Reports Wesley Tharpe Worker Justice Menu of Revenue Options to Pave Way for Georgia’s Rebound June 26, 2014 / January 16, 2020 by Wesley Tharpe Low Revenues Keeping Georgia on a Path to Mediocrity, 2014 Update Georgia is one of the lowest-taxed states in the country, which prevents state and local governments from collecting the revenue they need to fully fund education, public services and other ingredients of economic success. But lawmakers can reverse these budget shortfalls by choosing from […] Read more » State Taxes
Author Blog Cash and Safety Net K-12 Education Taifa Smith Butler Starbucks’ Venti Plan to Advance Educational Opportunities June 20, 2014 / January 16, 2020 by Taifa Smith Butler | 1 Comment on Starbucks’ Venti Plan to Advance Educational Opportunities This week Starbucks gave me new appreciation for corporations that value employees and show it in meaningful ways. Starbucks made headlines with its announcement that it will provide free college tuition for all its employees through a partnership with Arizona State University’s online program. To obtain financial support for a bachelor’s degree, employees don’t have […] Read more »
Author Blog Cash and Safety Net Melissa Johnson New Report: At the Bottom of a Broken Ladder June 19, 2014 / January 16, 2020 by Melissa Johnson Georgia could give its low income working families the chance to live better lives and contribute more to the state’s economy by increasing the HOPE Grant award to cover full tuition and fees, expanding access to subsidized child care and expanding access to Medicaid insurance. These are the recommendations included in the Georgia Budget and […] Read more »
Author Cash and Safety Net Library Melissa Johnson Policy Areas Reports At the Bottom of a Broken Ladder June 19, 2014 / January 16, 2020 by Melissa Johnson A Profile of Georgia’s Low-Income Working Families Nearly four in ten of Georgia’s working families with children are “low-income.”1 A low-income family of three with one child earns less than $36,960 per year. This could be the family of a cook at your favorite restaurant and a paraprofessional at your local school, working full-time in […] Read more »
