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Last updated November 2002

General Information on the Living Wage

Living wage -- facts at a glance

Frequently asked questions (FAQ) about the living wage

Key Tables and Charts

• Table: Living wage ordinances currently in place

Key EPI Publications

The economic impact of local living wages by Jeff Thompson and Jeff Chapman, February 2006

The Forgotten Workforce: More Than One in 10 Federal Contract Workers Earn Less Than a Living Wage by Chauna Brocht. November 2000

The Effects of the Living Wage in Baltimore (EPI Working Paper 119)
by Christopher Niedt, Greg Ruiters, Dana Wise, and Erica Shoenberger. February 1999

The Living Wage Movement: Pointing the Way Toward the High Road
by Jared Bernstein.
(Originally appeared in Community Action Digest, Spring 1999, Vol. 1, Issue 1)

Higher Wages Lead to More Efficient Service Provision -- The Impact of Living Wage Ordinances on the Public Contracting Process
by Jared Bernstein, 2000.

Montgomery County Stands to Benefit From a Living Wage
by Jared Bernstein and Chauna Brocht.
(Originally appeared in Maryland's Montgomery Gazette, July 23, 1999)

Complete listing of EPI publications on the living wage

Other Living Wage Resources

ACORN's Living Wage web page
Includes information on existing ordinances and current campaigns.

Living Wage Campaigns: An Activist's Guide to Building the Movement for Economic Justice A Comprehensive guide to organizing a living wage campaign, from ACORN.

Political Economy Research Institute, Labor Markets and Living Wages page: http://www.umass.edu/peri/lw.html.

Choosing the High Road: Businesses That Pay a Living Wage and Prosper
by Karen Kraut, Scott Klinger and Chuck Collins. From Responsible Wealth, a project of United for a Fair Economy.

Impact of Detroit's Living Wage Law on Non-Profit Organizations
From Wayne State University's Labor Studies Center (2000).

The Impact of the Detroit Living Wage Ordinance
Joint research project conducted by Wayne State University's Urban Studies Center and Labor Studies Center (1999).

"Martha Jernegons' New Shoes"
From The American Prospect, June 19-July 3, 2000.

The Living Wage: Building a Fair Economy
by Robert Pollin and Stephanie Luce. 1998. The New Press.

Intended vs. Unintended Consequences: Evaluating the New Orleans Living Wage Proposal
by the Political Economy Research Institute.

Economic Development in Minnesota: High Subsidies, Low Wages, Absent Standards
From Good Jobs First, a project of the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.

The Policy Shift To Good Jobs: Cities, States, and Counties Attaching Job Quality Standards to Development Subsidies
From Good Jobs First, a project of the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.

Impact of a Living Wage Ordinance on Miami-Dade County
Projection of costs and benefits of a proposed ordinance (Florida International University).

Living Wages and the San Francisco Economy
Two reports projecting the costs and benefits of a proposed ordinance (University of California 1999).

Living Wages at the Port of Oakland
Projection of costs and benefits of a proposed ordinance (University of California 1999).

Campus Living Wage Manual
From United for a Fair Economy.

"Living Wage, Live Action"
By Robert Pollin from The Nation, November 23, 1998.

"The Living Wage Wars"
From Governing, December 1998.

"The Living Wage Ordinance: A First Step in Reducing Poverty"
From Clearinghouse Review, September-October 1998.

"Living Wage Campaigns, Parts I and II"
From Against the Current, September/October and November/December 1998.

City of Santa Monica Living Wage Study
Projection of costs and benefits of a proposed ordinance (University of Massachusetts)

AFSCME's Living Wage Campaigns Page

Vermont Livable Wage Campaign Page

Living Wage: An Opportunity for San Jose
Projection of costs and benefits of a proposed ordinance (Working Partnerships USA)

A Living Wage for Santa Cruz and Watsonville
Projection of costs and benefits of a proposed ordinance (Working Partnerships USA)

Living Wage Campaigns in the Economic Policy Arena: Four Case Studies from California
(University of California)

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