This edition was written by Tara Watson, Gabriela Goodman, and Jonathon Zars.
💡 New from us: Lasting effects of deindustrialization, child care workers, birth control access, and economic opportunity
Janesville was the home of General Motors’ oldest operating assembly plant—until the plant closed in 2008 and thousands of people lost their well-paid jobs. How is Janesville doing today? What can it teach us about American communities that have experienced deindustrialization? Amy Goldstein explores the present-day story of Janesville: one of both challenges and enduring resilience.
Parents across the U.S. rely on child care workers and access to affordable child care. Kristin Butcher, Elizabeth Kepner, Kelli Marquardt, and Brianna Smith provide a primer on the child care labor marketand child care workers, detailing what we know about who child care workers are and what their jobs are like.
The family planning policy arena has received heightened attention since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022. These conversations are not limited to abortion access as some lawmakers are scrutinizing access to contraception. Isabel V. Sawhill and Kai Smith help readers understand this evolving political landscape.
On July 31, we hosted a webinar highlighting new research from Opportunity Insights illustrating trends in economic mobility by race, class, and geography. The event featured a presentation of key research findings by Raj Chetty and Benny Goldman, and a panel discussion moderated by Abigail Wozniak with Xav Briggs, Robert Doar, and Sherri Chisholm. For more details, check out our event summary and watch the livestream recording.
📖 What we're reading
The Great Migration increased educational opportunity for Black children. During the 20th century, millions of African Americans moved North in search of better opportunities. Cavit Baran, Eric Chyn, and Bryan Stuart analyze 1940 census data and find that moving from the South to North between 1915 and 1940 raised Black children’s educational attainment by 0.8 years—a 12% increase. Benefits were higher in places with stronger labor markets, less crime, and more investment in schools.
The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) helps future generations stay out of poverty and rely less on portions of the safety net. Nicardo S. McInnis, Natasha Pilkauskas, and Katherine Michelmore demonstrate that children who grow up in households benefiting from the EITC have strong reductions in poverty and public assistance usage in adulthood. They find that children exposed to the EITC have a 9% increase in likelihood to have income 200% above the federal poverty line in adulthood. Benefits from the EITC weren't uniform, however, those who were in the lowest 25% of the income distribution did not see reductions in poverty.
Driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants increase early childhood education (ECE) enrollment. Catalina Amuedo-Dorantes, Monica Deza, Genti Kostandini, and Tianyuan Luo show that state expansion of driving privileges leads to a 6% increase in pre-primary school attendance of Hispanic children with likely undocumented immigrant parents. These laws improve earnings, English proficiency, and mobility which likely help ECE enrollment. ECE could promote cognitive development and educational achievement.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) plays a critical role in supporting families experiencing economic hardship and helping households cope with unexpected changes in their finances.
A new Hamilton Project report explores the most common events experienced by households in the four months preceding new SNAP participation. New participants have often faced a recent financial shock or welcomed a new child into the household. See the analysis by Elizabeth Cox, Chloe East, and Isabelle Pula.
➡️ Worth a click
Check out this podcast about why the number of kids enrolled in Supplemental Security Income, a support program for low-income children with disabilities, has dropped.
Explore this interactive tool to view a snapshot of economic conditions in any city, county, state, or region.
Listen to this interview revealing how rural areas, though often overlooked in the conversation about housing costs, face significant eviction challenges and explore possible solutions.
About the Center for Economic Security and Opportunity at Brookings
The Center for Economic Security and Opportunity (CESO) produces data-driven, nonpartisan analysis to address the United States’ most challenging social policy questions. In a noisy and polarized world, the Center is a trustworthy source for the information and tools policymakers need to build an economy that works for everyone.
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