Massachusetts debates raising school dropout age to 18, By Adrienne Lu, October 11, 2013, Stateline: “Massachusetts is the latest state to consider raising the dropout age for students to 18 in an effort to improve graduation rates. A bill, sponsored by Democratic state Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz, would also standardize use of an early warning system that would alert school administrators when a student might be at risk for dropping out. The state would also provide funding for schools to establish graduation coaches, following in Georgia’s footsteps…”
Day: October 16, 2013
Low-Wage Workers and Public Assistance Programs
- Fast-food workers cost taxpayers nearly $7 billion in welfare costs, By David Migoya, October 15, 2013, Denver Post: “Fast-food workers cost taxpayers nearly $7 billion in welfare costs each year, according to a study issued Tuesday by the University of California at Berkeley. That’s because the workers at restaurants such as Wendy’s and McDonald’s are forced onto the public dole from wages that are too low for them to get by, the study found. The study found that about 52 percent of fast-food workers receive some form of public assistance, compared with 25 percent of the general workforce. A similar study was also issued by the National Employment Law project…”
- Public assistance for fast-food workers costs taxpayers, reports say, By Diane Stafford, October 15, 2013, Kansas City Star: “Low-paying jobs in the fast-food industry exact a multibillion-dollar cost on U.S. taxpayers, according to two national reports released Tuesday. U.S. taxpayers pay about $7 billion a year to support Medicaid, food stamps and other public assistance programs for fast-food workers who earn poverty-level wages, a team of university researchers said in one of the reports…”