United States

In Pope Francis’s outreach to the poor, his deeds speak louder than his words

by Terrence McCoy Washington Post September 24, 2015

See Report...

The long, strange tale of a California farm’s attempt to break its workers union

by David Bacon In These Times September 24, 2015

The strategy by one of the nation's largest growers to shed its obligation to sign a contract with the United Farm Workers was dealt a key setback last week. An administrative law judge not only threw out what union organizers say was one of the dirtiest decertification elections in recent labor his...

Pope Francis, in Washington, addresses poverty and climate

by Peter Baker and Michael D. Shear New York Times September 23, 2015

WASHINGTON — Welcomed with a fanfare of trumpets and a chorus of amens, Pope Francis introduced himself to the United States on Wednesday with a bracing message on climate change, immigration and poverty that ranged from the pastoral to the political....

The radical roots of the great grape strike

by David Bacon The Reality Check September 20, 2015

Fifty years ago the great grape strike started in Delano, when Filipino pickers walked out of the fields on September 8, 1965. Mexican workers joined them two weeks later. The strike went on for five years, until all California table grape growers were forced to sign contracts in 1970. ...

America’s poverty problem hasn’t changed

by Gillian B. White Atlantic September 16, 2015

On Wednesday, the Census Bureau released its latest data on income and poverty for the country, and despite a falling unemployment rate and a rising GDP—two promising macroeconomic signs—things haven’t improved all that much for American families in the past year....

Lower wages for whites, higher wages for immigrants, and inequality for all

by Jeff Guo Washington Post September 16, 2015

Earlier today, the Census Bureau released data showing that 2014 was much like 2013 and the years prior: meh for the majority of Americans. Real income for the median household has been level or declining each year since the recession, and in 2014 that number remained 6.5 percent lower than it was i...

14 percent of U.S.families food insecure in 2014; 5.6 percent very food insecure, USDA report says

by U.S. Department of Agriculture September 8, 2015

In 2014, 14.0 percent of U.S. households were food insecure. The change from 2013 (14.3 percent) was not statistically significant; however, the cumulative decline from 2011 (14.9 percent) to 2014 was statistically significant....

Understanding the historic divergence between productivity and workers pay

by Josh Bivins and Lawrence Mishel Economic Policy Institute September 2, 2015

Wage stagnation experienced by the vast majority of American workers has emerged as a central issue in economic policy debates, with candidates and leaders of both parties noting its importance. This is a welcome development because it means that economic inequality has become a focus of attention a...

Occupational wage declines since the Great Recession: Low-wage occupations see largest real wage declines

by Claire McKenna and Irene Tung National Employment Law Project September 2, 2015

On this Labor Day 2015, the U.S. labor market has shown considerable healing since the Great Recession. Private sector employment has expanded steadily, and the jobless rate has continued to fall. Yet, underlying weaknesses persist, as evidenced by the historically low employment rate of prime-age w...

Jasmin Almodovar, right, a home health aide in Cleveland, has received no increase in her hourly pay of $9.50 since 2007, even as costs for necessities have risen. Photo:  Michael F. McElroy/The New York Times

Low income workers see biggest drop in income

by Nelson D. Schwartz September 2, 2015

Despite steady gains in hiring, a falling unemployment rate and other signs of an improving economy, take-home pay for many American workers has effectively fallen since the economic recovery began in 2009, according to a new study by an advocacy group that is to be released on Thursday....

  • World Hunger Education
    Service
    P.O. Box 29015
    Washington, D.C. 20017
  • For the past 50 years, since its founding in 1976, the mission of World Hunger Education Service is to undertake programs, including Hunger Notes, that
    • Educate the general public and target groups about the extent and causes of hunger and malnutrition in the United States and the world
    • Advance comprehension which integrates ethical, religious, social, economic, political, and scientific perspectives on the world food problem
    • Facilitate communication and networking among those who are working for solutions
    • Promote individual and collective commitments to sustainable hunger solutions.