Can Low-Wage Workers Find Better Jobs? - FEDERAL RESERVE BANK of NEW YORK

Museum & Gold Tour Data & Statistics Careers Blog Press Center

About the New York Fed
- About the New York Fed
- What We Do
- Governance
- Diversity and Inclusion
- Advisory Groups
- Events
- Vendor Information
- Working within the Federal Reserve System, the New York Fed implements monetary policy, supervises and regulates financial institutions and helps maintain the nation's payment systems.
  
  Do you have a Freedom of Information request? Learn how to submit it.
  
  See the world's largest accumulation of gold as you learn about the New York Fed and Federal Reserve System on a free tour.
  
  The latest Annual Report chronicles the impact of Federal Reserve policies and includes data on the New York Fed's operations.
Markets & Policy Implementation
Economic Research
- Economic Research
- Data & Indicators
- Publications
- People
  - Visiting Scholars
  - Resident Scholars
- Liberty Street Economics Blog
- Our economists engage in scholarly research and policy-oriented analysis on a wide range of important issues.
  
  The Center for Microeconomic Data offers analysis and data exploring individual-level financial and nonfinancial economic conditions, expectations, and behavior in the United States.
  
  Our model produces a "nowcast" of GDP growth, incorporating a wide range of macroeconomic data as it becomes available.
  
  U.S. Economy in a Snapshot is a monthly presentation designed to give you a quick and accessible look at developments in the economy.
Financial Institution Supervision
- Financial Institution Supervision
- Supervision & Regulation
  - Circulars
  - Regulations
- Reporting Forms & Instructions
  - Reporting Forms
  - Correspondence
- Bank Applications
- Consumer Protection
  - Community Reinvestment Act Exams
  - Frauds and Scams
- As part of our core mission, we supervise and regulate financial institutions in the Second District. Our primary objective is to maintain a safe and competitive U.S. and global banking system.
  
  The Governance & Culture Reform hub is designed to foster discussion about corporate governance and the reform of culture and behavior in the financial services industry.
  
  Need to file a report with the New York Fed? Here are all of the forms, instructions and other information related to regulatory and statistical reporting in one spot.
  
  The New York Fed works to protect consumers as well as provides information and resources on how to avoid and report specific scams.
Financial Services & Infrastructure
- Financial Services & Infrastructure
- Financial Services & Operations
- Financial Market Infrastructure & Reform
- The Federal Reserve Bank of New York works to promote sound and well-functioning financial systems and markets through its provision of industry and payment services, advancement of infrastructure reform in key markets and training and educational support to international institutions.
  
  The New York Fed provides a wide range of payment services for financial institutions and the U.S. government.
  
  The New York Fed offers several specialized courses designed for central bankers and financial supervisors.
  
  The New York Fed has been working with tri-party repo market participants to make changes to improve the resiliency of the market to financial stress.
Outreach & Education
- Outreach & Education
- Community Development
- School & University Programs
  - High School
  - College and Graduate
- Museum & Learning Center
- Events
  - Upcoming Events
  - Past Events
- The New York Fed engages with individuals, households and businesses in the Second District and maintains an active dialogue in the region. The Bank gathers and shares regional economic intelligence to inform our community and policy makers, and promotes sound financial and economic decisions through community development and education programs.
  
  The Governance & Culture Reform hub is designed to foster discussion about corporate governance and the reform of culture and behavior in the financial services industry.
  
  The College Fed Challenge is a team competition for undergraduates inspired by the working of the Federal Open Market Committee.
  
  The Community Credit interactive highlights credit conditions, including measures of credit inclusion and stress, at the national, state and county levels.

Staff Reports

Can Low-Wage Workers Find Better Jobs?

Number 846
April 2018

JEL classification: J01, J24, J61, J62

Authors: Todd Gabe, Jaison R. Abel, and Richard Florida

There is growing concern over rising economic inequality, the decline of the middle class, and a polarization of the U.S. workforce. This study examines the extent to which low-wage workers in the United States transition to better jobs, and explores the factors associated with such a move up the job ladder. Using data covering the expansion following the Great Recession (2011-17) and focusing on short-term labor market transitions, we find that around 70 percent of low-wage workers stayed in the same job, 11 percent exited the labor force, 7 percent became unemployed, and 6 percent switched to a different low-wage job. Troublingly, just slightly more than 5 percent of low-wage workers found a better job within a 12-month period. Study results point to the importance of educational attainment in helping low-wage workers move up the job ladder.

Available only in PDF

AUTHOR DISCLOSURE STATEMENT(S)

Jaison R. Abel
The author declares that he has no relevant or material financial interests that relate to the research described in this paper.

Richard Florida
The author declares that he has no relevant or material financial interests that relate to the research described in this paper.

Todd Gabe
The author declares that he has no relevant or material financial interests that relate to the research described in this paper.