WASHINGTON, July 20 (UPI) -- Many middle- and lower-income families in the United States find the only way to boost income is to work extra hours, a study released Tuesday finds.
The joint report, "Running Faster to Stay in Place: The Growth of Family Work Hours and Incomes," was co-sponsored by the Economic Policy Institute and the New America Foundation. It found in families with children, median income families would see their income increase only 5 percent if women did not increase their hours.
With the increase in working hours, incomes increased 24 percent from 1979 to 2000.
"Stagnant hourly wage growth over much of the past few decades has meant that for many middle- and lower-income families the only way to boost living standards has been to spend many more hours at work," study co-author and EPI senior economist Jared Bernstein said in a statement.
The report calls for several reforms in the U.S. system, including health insurance reform, college tuition assistance, child care and after-school care for middle- and lower-income families.
It also calls for a national strategy to address stagnating wages.
