Report: Helping Working Families Achieve Economic Security

October 18th, 2011

Report Seeks to Help Mississippi’s Working Families Understand and Achieve Economic Security 

Click for Full Report

Wider Opportunities for Women (WOW) in partnership with the Mississippi Economic Policy Center (MEPC) have released a new report, The Basic Economic Security Tables™ for Mississippi noting that strategies to build economic security must look beyond low skill and low wage jobs.  

The Basic Economic Security Tables calculate how much a Mississippi family needs to earn for long-term economic security for over 400 family types at the state and county level.  County fact sheets and an online calculator have also been developed as a resource for residents and communities across Mississippi.

Some of the findings include:

• A single parent with a preschooler and a school-age child must earn $43,968 a year with benefits to achieve long-term economic security. 

• Two parents who are both working full time with a preschooler and a school-age child must earn together nearly $55,584 a year to reach economic security.

“The findings of the report affirm the ongoing strategy within the state to replace low skill jobs with high skill high wage jobs.  In the process, it is essential that we provide support services and access to training for in demand jobs for low skill, low-wage Mississippians” said Ed Sivak, Director of the Mississippi Economic Policy Center.

UPDATED Basic Economic Security Calculator and Wage Tools

Full Press Release 

WOW Fact Sheet

MEPC Fact Sheet 

Basic Economic Security Terms Guide