A report commissioned by the Southern Institute on Children and Families states that one out of five southern workers lives below 200% of the poverty level ($41,300 annual income for a family of four in 2007).  Families at or below this income level face daily struggles in meeting basic needs and the challenges they face can affect their stability and productivity on the job. Workforce issues faced by lower-income individuals are reflected in high absenteeism, high turnover and low morale.  Lower-income parents, especially single parents, are particularly susceptible to barriers that interfere with job stability. 

Children in lower-income families are placed at greater risk due to unmet basic needs and these conditions place them at a disadvantage in many areas of child well-being.  Improving the employment stability of their parents and other caretakers contributes to a more stable family economic environment and greater opportunities for child development and educational achievement.

The Southern Institute established the Southern Business Leadership Council (SBLC) in 2002. The SBLC is co-chaired by former U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley and Wachovia Executive Vice President Anne Doss. It is composed of representatives from banking, construction, health insurance, health services, hospitality, information technology, manufacturing, retail, telecommunications and corporate philanthropy, as well as local/national Chamber of Commerce representatives. The SBLC is focused on developing research-based employment stability action strategies that will mutually benefit families and employers in communities across the South. 

Participation of business leaders elevates the goals of removing barriers faced by lower-wage employees, improving their opportunities to be gainfully employed and increasing their abilities to meet the basic needs of their families. The Southern Institute is grateful for the leaders who serve on the SBLC and their willingness to work diligently towards these goals. With their leadership and involvement we can guide the South towards a more competitive position, both in terms of our workforce and the conditions in which our children and families live and work.

Southern Business Leadership Council Employment Stability Action Plan Initiative

The development of public and private sector action strategies requires knowledge from both workers and employers on issues that impact employment stability. A body of research is available on workforce stability barriers from the perspective of lower-income individuals. There is less information on employer views regarding issues that affect the ability of lower-income workers, especially parents, to be stable and productive on the job. Having employer perspectives is a critical component in the development of public and private sector actions that support and promote employment stability.

To gather employer insight on issues and solutions related to employment stability, employer projects will be conducted in selected southern communities. Upon completion, an analysis of all projects will be presented to assist the SBLC in developing the southern regional blueprint for action, titled the Southern Business Leadership Council Employment Stability Action Plan. The Action Plan will identify local, state, federal and private sector policy issues to be addressed and will outline promising practices that can be replicated in states and communities across the South. The SBLC Employment Stability Action Plan Initiative is described in greater detail below:

Phase I of the SBLC Employment Stability Action Plan Initiative is focused on research to gain employer views regarding issues that affect the ability of lower-income workers to be stable employees. In addition to the need to identify the barriers, it is equally important to identify strategies that hold promise in promoting stability in the lower-income workforce. The Southern Institute will seek insight from local employers in communities across the South. The Southern Institute received grants from the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Washington Area Women’s Foundation to conduct the first local employer project in the District of Columbia Metropolitan Area. The SBLC DC Metro Employer Project was conducted in the spring of 2006 and a final project report was prepared by the Southern Institute.

The SBLC Charlotte (NC) Employer Project began in January 2007 with support from Bank of America, Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated, GlaxoSmithKline and Wachovia, and the final project report was published in September 2007. The SBLC Upstate South Carolina Employer Project began in March 2007, and the final project report was published in August 2007. Support for this project is being provided by Bell South, BI-LO, the Greenville Hospital System, the Mary Black Foundation, Michelin North America, Nelson Mullins Riley and Scarborough, LLP and the Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has provided in-kind support to health coverage aspects of the SBLC Employment Stability Action Plan Initiative, and the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation has contributed in-kind support to the initiative also.

Phase II of the Initiative includes preparation of a synthesis of research on barriers and strategies collected from the employer surveys, local employer dialogue sessions, target industry dialogue sessions and additional sources to assist the SBLC in the development of the SBLC Employment Stability Action Plan. The Action Plan will identify local, state, federal and private sector policy issues that need to be addressed and will outline promising practices that can be replicated in states and communities across the South.

Phase III of the Initiative will include high profile dissemination and promotion of the SBLC Employment Stability Action Plan.  Among the activities planned to promote the Action Plan is development of an SBLC Speaker’s Bureau.  SBLC members and other speakers will promote the Action Plan within their own industries, at local, state, regional and national business and professional meetings and to local, state and federal policymakers and public agencies.  Employers’ voices are influential within the business community and also among public policymakers, and they will play a critical role in the adoption of public and private sector policies and practices recommended in the SBLC Employment Stability Action Plan.