How the Working Poor Juggle Job and Family Responsibilities Whats the Problem?
To understand the difficulties faced by the working poor, we must begin with the characteristics of their jobs – as fast service providers, hospital attendants, maintenance men, and housekeepers. While tight labor markets in many of the nation’s cities have led to wage increases for these workers, among the working poor who have the misfortune to live in communities that are still plagued with high levels of unemployment, these jobs typically pay poorly, offer no benefits and frequently demand shift-work or irregular hours. The low pay means that parents have very few options for child care: they have to take what they can get on the unregulated child care market or rely on the kindness of family members to look after their children. Both of these options have their downsides. Informal or so-called “home care” typically exists below the radar screen of public agencies that monitor the ratio of caregivers to children or the safety conditions of the buildings where children are being loo
