- Would new limits on food stamps help or hurt children? Missouri lawmakers disagree, By Tessa Weinberg, March 14, 2018, Kansas City Star: “As Republican lawmakers push bills to tighten access to the state’s welfare programs, their critics worry one group of Missourians could be hurt the most: low-income children. A handful of bills would put greater restrictions on people receiving aid through federal welfare programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as SNAP, or food stamps…”
- Missouri House supports bill adding welfare program restrictions, By Suman Naishadham, March 15, 2018, Columbia Missourian: “House members approved new restrictions and penalties for individuals who use two welfare programs on Thursday, despite impassioned arguments the move will create unfair financial hardships for those who rely on the funding…”
- Trump’s vow on welfare faces an uncertain future, By Glenn Thrush, March 15, 2018, New York Times: “In his State of the Union speech two months ago, President Trump vowed to end welfare as he defined it, heralding a plan to force recipients off federal housing vouchers, food assistance and Medicaid if they were not willing to do ‘a hard day’s work.’ Days before the speech, as part of the plan, several federal departments took steps to impose the stricter work requirements on able-bodied adults receiving noncash aid. The move could result in the loss of subsistence benefits for as many as four million poor, single adults over the next few years, experts say. But Mr. Trump’s effort faces an uncertain future…”
Category: Employment
February 2018 US Unemployment Rate
- Jobs report: U.S. employers added 313,000 jobs in February, By Paul Davidson, March 9, 2018, USA Today: “A hot labor market showed no sign of cooling as U.S. employers added a blockbuster 313,000 jobs in February. The unemployment rate was unchanged at a 17-year low of 4.1%, the Labor Department said Friday…”
- U.S. added 313,000 jobs in February. Here’s what that means., By Patricia Cohen, March 9, 2018, New You Times: “Whether you work on Wall Street or in a warehouse, the latest jobs report released by the government on Friday contained good news, with impressive employment gains in low-, middle- and high-wage industries…”
Unemployment Insurance
16 percent of workers can’t get unemployment insurance. How to fix that, By Annie Nova, February 22, 2018, CNBC: “The nation’s unemployment insurance program has run into a big problem, labor experts and advocates say. It is no longer able to provide protections to an expanding share of today’s workers…”