Helping
Low-Wage Americans During an Economic
Slowdown – Support for Various Measures
|
Most Americans,
regardless of political affiliation, strongly support new programs
for lowwage workers hurt by the current economic slowdown, according
to a national poll taken in October for the non-profit group, Jobs
for the Future.
Conducted
by Lake Snell Perry and Associates, the poll surveyed 803 Americans
in October and found most Americans want to help vulnerable workers
by:
- making
it easier for laidoff workers to keep their health coverage;
- increasing
funding for education and training so displaced workers can
get better jobs when the economy improves;
- creating
temporary work programs for the unemployed in needed areas like
school and road construction;
- increasing
unemployment benefits to allow displaced workers to live above
the poverty level; and
- extending
unemployment benefits over a longer period.
The poll found
broad-based public support for these ideas, with majorities of
Democrats, Independents, and Republicans favoring these policies.
For more information on poll, visit www.jff.org.
