Families’ Job Characteristics and Economic Self-Sufficiency: Differences by Income, Race-Ethnicity, and Nativity

Policy debates about whether wages and benefits from work provide enough resources to achieve economic self-sufficiency rely on data for workers, not working families. Using the Current Population Survey, we find that almost two-thirds of families full time earn cover a basic family budget, but less than quarter low-income do. A typical full-time with below budget would need $11.00 more per hour expenses. This wage gap is larger black, Hispanic, immigrant Receipt employer-provided varies—health insurance prevalent pension plans—and both are available families, Findings suggest without policies decrease inequality increase parents’ access jobs higher benefits, child opportunity gaps by income, race-ethnicity, nativity will likely persist.