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Working poor are individuals who are gainfully employed, but their household income is below the poverty threshold. Therefore, in-work poverty arises at intersection of labor market and family dynamics: on the one hand, individual resources are related to the likelihood of experiencing unfavorable labor market arrangements leading to poverty (e.g. low-wage or temporary contracts); on the other hand, specific family structure or family-life-course transitions (e.g., the birth of a child or divorce) are associated with different levels of households’ economic wellbeing. The seminar will examine how and why in-work poverty became a critical issue in the US and in Europe. We will first discuss the theoretical and methodological challenges of defining and measuring it in-work poverty. Second, we will consider the prevalence of in-work poverty over time and across specific social groups in different welfare and labor market regimes. Third, we will assess how living in a working poor household affects outcomes in other life domains. Finally, we will compare the policy response to in-work poverty across countries. |
