Economic Security

By Sara K. Gould*

Linda Basch: How has ARRA impacted our economy from a local, community, or individual/family perspective?

Sara Gould: ARRA has provided a crucial injection of support to states during the worst of our nation’s current economic crisis. Take child care, for example: several states have used the funding to prevent budget cuts; some have reduced waiting lists for subsidized child care; and others have worked to improve the quality of child-care delivery.

By Alan Jenkins*

At year one, the legacy of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is still unwritten. Most economists agree that the Act has created and saved large numbers of jobs, and helped stave off potentially catastrophic levels of unemployment. Given where our economy was a year ago, that is a huge and important accomplishment.

By Randy Albelda*

By Yvonne Liu*

One year has passed since the Obama administration enacted the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the largest boon to public spending and the safety net since the New Deal. Last week, President Obama linked economic recovery to investments in clean energy and green job creation in his State of the Union address.

By Juhu Thukral*

By Lauren D. Appelbaum*

Despite two quarters of GDP growth and a declining unemployment rate, 20,000 jobs were lost last month. Without 33,000 temporary Census jobs, 53,000 jobs would have disappeared. Job loss has slowed since the 583,000 jobs per month lost on average between January and June, and ARRA has certainly played a role. But effects of that stimulus are fading. More needs to be done or the potential gains from a budding recovery will disappear and we will see continued job loss.

By Deepak Bhargava*

We put trillions of dollars on the line to rescue Wall Street from self inflicted wounds, yet at a time of historic unemployment rates, some are calling for shrinking the deficit on the backs of America's workers by refusing to take the bold steps needed to put people back to work.

By Linda A. Meric*

As we mark the one-year ARRA anniversary, it’s time to look at strategies on the road to recovery.

ARRA investment can promote and fund an economic recovery that works for all of us. Or, stimulus investment can go to those who’ve always had more, reinforcing existing inequities, and leaving women, people of color, and low-income families further behind. Much of ARRA’s $819 billion funding is still to be spent, and we must ensure that the recovery helps those most in need.