New evidence shows that offering two years of high-quality preschool at zero cost boosted labor force participation among mothers in Washington D.C. at both ends of the income spectrum and across all levels of educational attainment. Mothers with less than a high school degree experienced the largest gains. The city now boasts the highest maternal labor force participation rate (LFPR) in the nation. From 2008 to 2016, the LFPR rose 15 points for mothers below 100 percent of the poverty line and 13 points for mothers above 500 of the poverty line. This is further evidence that universal preschool programs are a worthwhile investment in families, providing educational benefits for children and allowing more women to participate in the labor force.
Renewable energy is rapidly gaining market share in America’s electricity markets. In 2017, renewable energy sources were used to produce nearly one-fifth (17 percent) of the electricity generated in the United States. This is almost twice the market share renewables had in 2008 (9 percent). And this is just the start, as renewables are projected to continue to grow and take market share from more traditional energy sources.
Sep 25 2018
Credit Scores: What They Are and Why They Matter
Sep 25 2018
A Quick Guide to Credit Scores
Sep 25 2018
ACA Reduced Uninsured Rate for New Mothers
Sep 24 2018
September Economic Snapshot of the States
Although the U.S. economy overall continues its expansion following the Great Recession and associated financial crisis, the recovery can look very different from state to state. The lion’s share of economic gains are not only concentrated at the top of the income and wealth distribution, but also in a small share of regions. While some parts of the country have surged ahead, millions of Americans in urban and rural communities are still waiting for their wages to start rising again and struggling to make ends meet.
Sep 24 2018
ACA Reduced Uninsured Rate for New Mothers
Before the ACA, many new mothers who were covered by Medicaid for delivery lost coverage within six months of giving birth. But after the implementation of the ACA, the uninsured rate among women who had given birth in the past year fell by 41 percent from 2013 to 2016. And in states that expanded Medicaid, the rate was cut by more than half. Despite this progress, more than 1 in 10 new mothers still lacked coverage in 20 states in 2015-16. Instead of supporting programs that expand coverage for new mothers, the latest House Republican budget called for $1.5 trillion in cuts to Medicaid and other health programs.