🦺IMSPARK: A Workforce Protected and Prosperous🦺

🦺Imagine… A Workforce Protected and Prosperous🦺

💡 Imagined Endstate:

A future where every worker—across America and in global regions like the Pacific—thrives under robust protections, fair wages, and safe conditions, fostering economic strength not just for today but for generations to come.

📚 Source:

Shierholz, H. (2025, February 15). Testimony prepared for the U.S. House of Representatives Full Committee on Education & the Workforce: "Unleashing America’s Workforce and Strengthening Our Economy." Economic Policy Institute. https://www.epi.org/publication/testimony-prepared-for-the-u-s-house-of-representatives-full-committee-on-education-the-workforce-for-a-hearing-titled-unleashing-americas-workforce-and-strengthening-our-economy/

💥 What’s the Big Deal:

Worker protections are not an obstacle to economic growth—they are a cornerstone of it 🛠️. This powerful testimony to the U.S. House of Representatives makes clear that regulations ensuring safe workplaces, fair pay, and the right to organize are critical not just for ethical reasons, but for economic vitality .

The research dissects and dismantles the myth that regulations are job killers. In truth, they correct market failures like unchecked pollution, hazardous work environments, and exploitative labor practices that disproportionately impact vulnerable populations—including communities in the Pacific 🌊, where labor migration and precarious work conditions are everyday realities.

By investing in worker protection and infrastructure (like renewable energy and safety equipment), we create jobs today and ensure healthier, safer environments tomorrow. Such measures empower workers to move from survival to prosperity, creating a virtuous cycle of economic stability and growth 🌾.

For the Pacific Islands, this resonates deeply. Like many communities globally, they benefit from frameworks that prioritize long-term resilience over short-term transactional policies. Labor policies that center dignity, safety, and fairness help avoid the exploitation of Pacific labor migrants and encourage homegrown industries that respect both people and environment 🌱.

At its heart, this testimony affirms a vital truth: policies grounded in protection and equity do not stifle progress—they unleash it 🚀.

#WorkforceEmpowerment, #WorkerRights, #SaferPacific, #EconomicGrowth, #SustainableEconomy, #FairLabor,#PacificResilience,#LaborRights,#IMSPARK, #EPI,

🏦 IMSPARK: Acknowledging Economic Contribution in the Pacific🏦

🏦 Imagine… Acknowledging Economic Contribution in the Pacific🏦

💡 Imagined Endstate:

A future where the economic contributions of all residents, regardless of documentation status, are recognized and celebrated, leading to a more inclusive and prosperous Pacific community.

🔗 Link:

Read the full report here

📚 Source:

Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. (2024). Tax Payments by Undocumented Immigrants: An Essential Contribution to Local Economies. Retrieved from https://sfo2.digitaloceanspaces.com/itep/ITEP-Tax-Payments-by-Undocumented-Immigrants-2024.pdf.

💥 What’s the Big Deal:

The Pacific Islands, like many other regions, thrive thanks to the contributions of undocumented immigrants who live and work in these communities 🌍. Despite their undocumented status, these individuals contribute billions of dollars annually in taxes 💵, supporting essential public services like education, healthcare, and infrastructure 🏥. This report from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy sheds light on the significant economic impact of undocumented immigrants, highlighting that they are not a burden but rather an integral part of the Pacific’s economic fabric 💪🏽. Recognizing and valuing these contributions is crucial for building an inclusive society where everyone’s efforts are acknowledged 🏛️. In a time when immigration debates can be divisive, this report serves as a powerful reminder that economic contributions transcend legal status 👥. It’s about crafting a future where every resident, regardless of documentation, plays a vital role in sustaining and strengthening the community 🏝️.

#InclusiveEconomy #PacificIslands #EconomicContribution #Immigration #SocialJustice #CommunityStrength #IMSPARK

💵 IMSPARK: Adequate Standard of Living 💵

  💵  Imagine... an adequate standard of living 💵

💡 Imagined Endstate: 

A Pacific where we can earn enough income to cover the costs of necessities such as housing, food, health care, child care, and transportation in different parts of the region, and where we can enjoy a decent quality of life without struggling to make ends meet.

🔗Link:

Ref Here

📚Source: 

Gould, E., Mokhiber, Z., & deCourcy, K. (2020). What constitutes a living wage?: A guide to using EPI’s Family Budget Calculator. Economic Policy Institute.

💥 What’s the Big Deal:  

The tool known as the Family Budget Calculator is designed to determine the amount of income a family requires to achieve a reasonable and satisfactory quality of life in different parts of the country. 🏠 It estimates the costs of housing, food, health care, child care, and transportation for ten family types in all counties and metro areas in the United States. 🍽️ The calculator provides a more accurate and complete measure of economic security than the federal poverty line or the Supplemental Poverty Measure.📏It can be used by policymakers, advocates, and employers to set meaningful living wage standards for their communities and to design policies and programs that help families meet their needs.🎗️ The calculator also reveals the wide variation in living costs across the Pacific region and the challenges many families face in affording a decent life.

#FamilyBudget, #LivingWage, #Cost, #EPI,#IMSPARK,