CONCLUSION What might the Trump administration and other political leaders take away from these responses to work-family policies from the 10 white, working-class Millennial parents in our focus group? First, they want to keep more of their own money in each paycheck. Many participants felt that if they could pay less in taxes and keep more of their earnings, they would be better able to pay for their monthly expenses, instead of having to turn to government programs for help. Second, they expect basic courtesy from their employers. Participants told stories of being unable to plan their family lives because of their employers’ haphazard and last-minute scheduling practices. Mothers told stories of having to go back to work only days after giving birth, and alleging that they got fired or laid off just because they were pregnant. These situations made participants feel disrespected and punished for having families.Third, they don’t want to take advantage of public assistance. Participants did not want to appear “greedy,” as one participant put it. Instead of demanding more government assistance, they were interested in finding ways to minimize their need for aid. Every participant either worked or was pursuing more education, and some became visibly angry when talking about others they perceived as “frauding” the system by taking aid and not working. But they also value public assistance and wish that it wouldn’t be immediately reduced simply for earning more or getting married. Finally, they vote with their heads, not just their pocketbooks. Participants clearly want lawmakers to address their challenges, but they also want them to think about any long-term unintended consequences of policies intended to help Americans living paycheck-to-paycheck. However, because of their experiences, they believe that bosses can come up with “legitimate business reasons” for doing many things that make their family lives unpredictable, so they support legislation that would ensure better working conditions and greater stability for many working parents.
Note: The 10 participants in the focus group represent seven couples in southern Ohio: six married and one cohabiting. They are all high-school-educated, white, Millennial parents who have working-class jobs. We knew most of the individuals already, whether through our research in southern Ohio or through our neighborhood, and have developed friendships with many of them.
Ten white working-class Millennials talk about how to improve public assistance
