Crittenton Women's Union -

NEW! Massachusetts Economic Independence Index 2010

The Massachusetts Economic Independence Index (Mass. Index) reports what it takes for a family to make ends meet in Massachusetts without relying on public or private assistance. The Mass. Index calculates a budget of basic expenses including housing, child care, healthcare, food, transportation, personal and essential household items, and taxes.

The Mass. Index measures costs at the state and county levels and for the city of Boston, capturing local markets and prices. Mass. Index budgets are specific to family composition, presenting values for 410 family types. On average in Massachusetts, a single-parent family with one preschooler and one school-age child needs an income of $61,618 a year to meet its day-to-day essential expenses without public assistance.

Methodology

NEW! Hot Jobs 2010

The �Hot Jobs 2010� report is CWU's triennial survey of the Massachusetts labor market to identify career paths that lead to economic self-sufficiency. �Hot Jobs 2010� defines Hot Jobs as careers that require two years or less of post-secondary education or training, meet the Mass. Index income level for a single-parent family with two children, and currently post high vacancy rates.

�Hot Jobs 2010� identifies just 11 jobs in Massachusetts that meet the criteria, down from 26 in 2007 when CWU last published its Hot Jobs report.

"The Cliff Effect Experience: Voices of Women on the Path to Economic Independence"

View and download (1.5 mb) the new report, "The Cliff Effect Experience: Voices of Women on the Path to Economic Independence," that expands on the "Fits & Starts" policy brief.

"Fits & Starts: The Difficult Path for Working Single Parents"

View and download (526 kb) the policy brief, "Fits & Starts: The Difficult Path for Working Single Parents," published in partnership with The Center for Social Policy at UMass Boston.

The Massachusetts Working Poor Families Project Report

View and download (230 kb) "Unlocking the Doors to Higher Education and Training for Massachusetts' Working Poor Families."

New Directions in Workforce Development:
Do They Lead to Gains for Women?

View and download (89 kb) the report, reprinted from New England Journal of Public Policy, Vol. 22, No. 1 and 2.

2007 Hot Jobs Report

View and download Hot Jobs, Good Wages: How to Live, Work, and Thrive in Massachusetts (688 kb), our 2007 report on high demand jobs for women that pay self-sufficient wages.

The 2006 FESS Reports

View and download the 2006 Family Economic Self-Sufficiency Standard, a report on the real costs of living in Massachusetts.

Boston
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Gloucester
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New Bedford
North Adams
Springfield
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