Advocates fear Hawaiʻi’s sick leave bill abandons workers in need
But industry groups say bills that mandate paid sick leave for workers and expand the state’s current family leave law will push prices higher.
Close gap between low wages, housing
Given that Hawaiʻi has the highest cost of living in the nation, in real terms we pay our workers the lowest wages compared to any other state.
Many remain unemployed despite lots of job openings
The Appleseed report provides a broader vision on how to break the downward cycle: get more money into the hands of poor people, because they usually live so close to the financial edge that the smallest problem can lead to a crisis.