Dr. China Layne Invited to Present Research Paper at ESS Annual Meeting

Dr. China Layne has been invited to present her research paper at the Eastern Sociological Society (ESS) 2014 Annual Conference. Dr. Layne’s paper is entitled “Working but Still Poor: The Role of Regional Occupational Structure in Low Income Work” and was accepted to be presented at the conference, being held this spring in Baltimore, MD.

Along with collaborator Dr. Suzanne Macartney, Dr. Layne researched whether geographic factors affect an individual’s likelihood of being “working poor,” that is, employed but earning a wage at the poverty level. Specifically, the research focuses on how the mix of occupations within a region affects the probability of workers earning very low wages. Dr. Layne’s project used data from the American Community Survey and employed a two-level logistic model to investigate effects of both individual- and regional-level characteristics on the likelihood of being working poor.

The paper discussion is scheduled to take place on February 22nd. ESS’s focus for their 2014 Annual Meeting is on work, the nature of employment, and how work is recognized and valued by society.

We look forward to Dr. Layne’s report on the session and conference. Congratulations!