DHR produced a chart comparing monthly spendable income from public assistance (cash and foodstamps) to monthly spendable income from work
Raising Incomes
Realizing our human potential depends on having the resources to meet our material needs. Raising the incomes of the lowest-paid workers not only increases economic opportunity but also makes for a more prosperous state.
Raising Incomes
Realizing our human potential depends on having the resources to meet our material needs. Raising the incomes of the lowest-paid workers not only increases economic opportunity but also makes for a more prosperous state.
Latest Articles
News Release The Oregon Center for Public Policy, a Silverton-based public policy research organization, released data this Labor Day weekend
Across the nation, the number of people receiving cash assistance has declined sharply since the mid-1990s. In Oregon, the number
News Release The voter-approved minimum wage increase of 1996 reversed a three-year decline in starting wages for welfare recipients, according
Minimum Wage Increase “Proved Successful” New data released today by the Oregon Center for Public Policy, a Silverton-based public policy
The Rich Get Richer While The Poor and Middle Class Lose Income Over Last Two Decades
The 1997 Oregon Legislative Assembly chose to set aside $4.9 million in the Emergency Fund to address some of the
Latest Podcasts

Oregonians Will Go Hungry as SNAP Implodes
Roughly 70,000 Oregonians have already dropped off the SNAP program since 2025, because of the Trump administration enacting the biggest
July 9, 2026

U.S. at 250: Toward a Third Reconstruction
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, what kind of country do we want to become? We speak with
June 25, 2026

The Real Challenge Facing Oregon’s Economy
In this episode of Policy for the People, we discuss our recent report examining Oregon’s economic performance. As OCPP Policy
June 11, 2026
