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“Student debt has become a kitchen-table issue at this point,” says Mark Huelsman, a senior policy analyst at Demos. “Because borrowing is now a prerequisite to college, it’s now embedded in traditional issues of economic fairness and things that students tend to be active about.”
In the media
Sam Ross-Brown
However generous Amazon's new benefits are, whether employees actually use those benefits will depend a lot on the culture they work in and the social pressures they face. "Amazon is notorious for its competitive work environment, and simply having access to leave may not be enough if workers feel
In the media
Emily Crockett
As you read this, workers across the country from retail, fast food, home care, and the federal government are launching one of the biggest strikes yet, calling for $15 an hour and collective bargaining rights. Together, they make up the American working class, the backbone of our economy, and they
Blog
Tamara Draut
New Yorkers now have the right to apply for and work at a job without an employer demanding a look at their personal credit history.
Blog
Amy Traub
On Monday, President Obama ordered federal agencies to stop asking most prospective employees about their criminal histories at the beginning of the application process. For too long, Americans seeking to re-enter the workforce and make an honest living have had job opportunities taken away because
Blog
Heather McGhee
Discussion about the working class, who make up the majority of American families and would benefit most from such a raise, has all but disappeared from popular conversation.
Blog
Tamara Draut
Of course, the vast majority of Americans will never come close to earning a million dollars. Perhaps more tellingly, many of the people politicians think they’re speaking to by talking about the “middle class,” don’t define themselves as such. They view themselves as working class, and basically
Blog
Tamara Draut
On a late evening this past summer and without warning, one of the oldest buildings in Atlanta caught fire. Gaines Hall — a former dormitory on the campus of Morris Brown College — had been shuttered for years, closed when the school fell on hard times. After firefighters extinguished the two-alarm
In the media
Parents and students enter into an often complicated and opaque process when trying to secure financial aid, making some kind of financial discussion essentially a requirement for anyone hoping to successfully pay for college, said Mark Huelsman, a senior policy analyst at Demos, a left-leaning
In the media
Jillian Berman
Clinton supports raising the federal minimum wage to $12 per hour. Despite minimum wage hikes by many state and local governments, and by high-profile employers like Walmart and Target, the federal minimum wage remains stuck at $7.25 per hour, the same rate it has been at since 2009. Many advocates
In the media
Beth Braverman