Policymakers Must Address Earnings Instability |
Small fiber mill in southern Oregon, where posted wages start at less than $20 an hour. Photo: Jeffrey St. Clair.
Current policy debates are often focused on static income or employment status, such as being employed or unemployed, and annual income changes. However, the growing issue of earnings stability is largely overlooked in these discussions.
On December 17, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) and Representatives Rosa DeLauro (D-Connecticut) and Jan Schakowsky (D-Illinois) reintroduced the Schedules That Work Act and Part-Time Worker Bill of Rights (SB 3550 & HR 6786). These are critical federal measures to explicitly address these issues, ensuring predictability and stability for low-wage workers’ economic life. As the labor market slows, the economic wellbeing of wage workers depends not just on how much they earn, but also on whether they can count on steady pay in the weeks and months ahead.
Many workers — particularly in industries like retail and food services, hospitality, and personal care— often encounter changes in their working hours as employers continue to pass on the costs of disrupted business, which is the biggest driver of today’s........