Twenty-four million jobs---one fifth of all jobs in the United States ---cannot keep a family of four above the poverty level.1 One-quarter of all workers are in jobs that pay wages below the poverty line for a family of four,2 and more than 25 percent of working families in the United States have incomes below 200 percent of the federal poverty line.
Child care state subsidies reached only 28 percent of eligible children; federal assistance reached 14 percent of eligible children.
Yet some employers may be unwilling or unaware of the need, the available supports, or their ability to connect eligible workers with these benefits.
Businesses have limited knowledge about worker eligibility and the programs themselves.
A number of businesses are open to playing a role in connecting workers with work supports, but the role they wish to play is a limited one.
Employers are most receptive to EITC outreach, and employer initiatives often begin with a focus on the EITC.
Employers are familiar and comfortable with the concept that any taxpayer can benefit from tax counseling and advice, and therefore have a greater comfort with promoting the EITC.
The reason for this probably relates to the entrepreneurial and creative nature of these lead organizations, and to the fact that promotion of multiple benefits is not the "job" of any government agency, since the initiative cuts across federal, state, and sometimes local agencies.
Moreover, we heard from community entities and businesses that non-governmental intermediaries can often be more effective than governmental entities in carrying messages about the importance of work supports.
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