On the 90th anniversary of FDR’s signing of the Social Security Act, PPI’s Senior Fellow David Riemer released a comprehensive research report on How a Work-Based Policy Package Can Reduce US Poverty. The report, conducted by the Urban Institute and supported by the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, Herb Kohl Philanthropies, and local philanthropist Brad Brin, shows how a comprehensive package of seven work-based policies can dramatically reduce poverty.
The Urban Institute estimated that if the package had been enacted in 2018, the US poverty rate would fall from 11.4% to 3.1%; the poverty rate for children would fall from 11% to 2.3%; the number of people employed would increase by over 6 million; and the middle class would grow by over 25%. Net government spending would increase by around $810 billion. The latest report builds on David and PPI’s previous work-based research, including the Working Our Way Out of Poverty policy package.
