How Hawaiʻi’s hardworking undocumented immigrants support our economy and communities
A new report from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy lifts up the significant tax contributions that undocumented immigrants make to our federal, state and local governments through the taxes they pay each year.
What made the 2022 Hawaiʻi legislative session a win for working families?
After multiple years with little progress on policy to help working families survive Hawaiʻi’s highest-in-the-nation cost of living, several factors came together to deliver a banner year in 2022.
Hawaiʻi should eliminate its tipped sub-minimum wage
Research shows that employers frequently exploit tip credit provisions to pay their employees beneath the legal minimum wage. As a result, tipped workers tend to earn lower, less consistent wages than non-tipped workers, and they are more likely to experience poverty.
Appleseed agenda 2021: stop cuts, boost working families and the economy
Hawaiʻi Appleseed’s work during the 2021 legislative session focuses on the areas most critical to preserving the strength and stability of Hawaiʻi people, families and communities.
How COVID-19 shaped Appleseed’s work in 2020
The year 2020 was a turbulent one, but it proved the power of Hawaiʻi’s greatest strength—its people.
This Labor Day, Hawaiʻi’s workers need more help than ever
Hawaiʻi’s workers keep our state and economy going through good times and bad. This upcoming Labor Day, they desperately need support to weather what’s become a storm of record unemployment.
Honolulu minimum wage is lowest among 15 most expensive U.S. cities
While residents of metropolitan areas with high prices also tend to have higher incomes, that’s not the case in Honolulu—and especially not true for minimum wage workers.
Hawaiʻi drops to 44th in the nation in children’s summer meal participation
The drop means that 123 fewer children in Hawaiʻi received meals through summer lunch programs in July 2019 compared to July 2018.
Hawaiʻi’s household income loss is the highest in the nation
6 in 10 Hawaiʻi adults now live in a household in which at least one person has lost income
Who are Hawaiʻi’s frontline workers?
The pandemic has shown us how crucial frontline industry workers are to Hawaiʻi’s economy. Sadly, many of these workers are underpaid and under-protected.
State research confirms economic benefit of minimum wage hikes
The Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism’s latest report demonstrates that a living wage is not only possible, it is economically desirable.
No cause for panic: Hawaiʻi’s economy is OK
A quarter of slow growth is no reason for lawmakers to forgo important economic justice measures like raising the minimum wage.
“Occupy Hunger,” urges food justice advocate Andy Fisher
Our current system of addressing hunger in the U.S. overlooks the root causes of food insecurity—inadequate wages and community disinvestment.
How high is too high? We actually know a lot about minimum wage increases
Raising the minimum wage would boost not just the pay of many struggling Hawaiʻi workers and their families; it would also boost the local economy.
Appleseed announces 2019 policy agenda
After months of research spent examining these critical issues, this agenda prioritizes efforts for maximum benefit to the community at-large.
Public charge rule change would hurt Hawaiʻi’s economy
Not only would the proposed rule change adversely impact the standard of living of Hawaiʻi’s immigrant families, it would also harm Hawaiʻi’s overall economy.
Incomes in Hawaiʻi are not as high as you’ve heard: Here’s why
Over the years, the media has often reported that Hawaiʻi incomes are among the highest in the nation. If that doesn’t sound quite right to you, trust your gut.
Official poverty data obscures the reality faced by many Hawaiʻi residents
If you hear Hawaiʻi has one of the lowest official poverty rates in the nation, remember that doesn’t take into account our highest-in-the-nation cost of living.
Hawaiʻi bill will create historic new working families tax credit
Rep. Scott Saiki called passage of the bill the “most consequential work in the last few years to reduce poverty and Hawaiʻi’s high cost of living.”