United States Department of Labor

by

This paper was prepared for a conference sponsored by the US Department of Labor, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy, "Helping Low-Wage Workers: Policies for the Future (May 1999)." I would like to thank Robert I. Lerman and Stefanie Schmidt for their helpful comments and Daniel McKenzie for his capable research assistance. All errors are the sole responsibility of the author. The opinions expressed in this paper are not necessarily those of the Urban Institute or the Department of Labor.

Abstract

Brief Description

List of Tables

List of Figures

1. Introduction
2. Low-Wage Workers: Concepts, Definitions, and Data
3. A Profile of Low-Wage Workers
   1. Size and Scope of the Problem
   2. Work Effort
   3. Educational Attainment
   4. Location
   5. Occupation and Industry
   6. Demographic Characteristics
   7. Section Summary
4. Discussion of Policy Options
5. Conclusion

References