The so-called "great resignation" isn't playing out for all workers. A new survey covering North Dakota and Minnesota shows people on the lower end of the income scale face obstacles in jumping to other job opportunities.

The Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank, along with Community Action agencies in both states, heard from more than 200 individuals, mainly working in social services, education and health care. Most expressed a desire to move up the career ladder, but said they lack the resources to learn new skills, or that expenses such as child care get in the way.

Erick Garcia Luna, regional outreach director at the Minneapolis Fed, said it becomes more pronounced for people earning very little in their current job.

"If a family is making minimum wage," he said, "they're going to have a harder time taking the time, for example, to get trained for another job."

Nearly 60% of respondents making between $10,000 and $25,000 dollars a year said it's either "somewhat or very difficult" to make an occupational change. Community Action Partnership of North Dakota said the survey also revealed these individuals are finding it harder to meet basic needs amid rising inflation, but also can't afford to pursue a better-paying job.

Ashley Littlewolf, workforce development case manager lead at the Southeastern North Dakota Community Action Agency, said she sees a lot of overlap with these barriers.

"They're feeding each other, the barriers are increasing each other," she said. "That need for new skills, and then finding the day care - and also, the jobs not paying enough."

While some employers are offering better pay, Littlewolf said the findings should prompt more action to boost starting wages. She said expanding the hiring pool can help, too.

"Taking a chance on someone who may not have that experience," she said, "but offering on-site training, offering the opportunity for them to enter that career path without the experience or education."

The Service Employees International Union is joining the AFL-CIO, a move both groups said will make it easier for more workers to unionize.

SEIU is the nation's largest union of health care workers, janitors and security officers, among others. Combined with the AFL-CIO, a federation of more than 60 national and international labor unions, the group now has 15 million members.

Alan Dubinsky, communications director for SEIU Local 49, representing Oregon and Southwest Washington, said the two unions have a history of working together and they share many of the same values.

"We want to unite people across class lines no matter where they live, no matter the color of their skin, who they love, so we can stand up to billionaire interest and corporate greed," Dubinsky explained.

Research shows although only one in 10 workers is currently part of a union, more than 60 million people said they would join a union if they could. In a statement, the AFL-CIO said it will fight for new rules to strengthen the rights of workers to organize and collectively bargain.

Recent polls showed unions have near record-high favorability, with 67% of Americans approving of them. Last year had some major wins for labor, including The United Auto Workers, unions representing airline workers, and several Hollywood entertainment unions. Dubinsky noted rights for workers cannot be won alone.

"As working people, we all want the same things," Dubinsky contended. "We want jobs that are going to pay us enough to live. We want accessible, affordable, quality health care for ourselves, for our loved ones. "

When workers organize, research shows wages increase and working conditions improve. In 2024, petitions to form or join a union more than doubled from the previous year.

After five days of Oregon's largest health-care strike, including the state's first doctors' work stoppage, Providence Health announced it is ready to return to the bargaining table. The Oregon Nurses Association is calling for competitive wages and resolution of what it calls systemic, unsafe staffing issues.

Kathy Keane, a nurse at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center who has been on the picket line, said Providence needs to focus on recruiting and retaining skilled staff.

"I want to work with the best of the best. And when we are the lowest-paid caregivers in the Portland metro area, it's hard to argue why people should come here and stay here long-term," she explained.

Providence said it is ready to return to the bargaining table, thanks in part to what it calls an "unprecedented number" of union nurses who have chosen not to strike. Earlier this week, Providence filed an unfair-labor-practice complaint, saying the nurses' association unlawfully delayed bargaining by refusing to meet and not responding to proposals in a timely manner.

A recent poll conducted by the Oregon Nurses Association found more than 90% of patients reported a negative experience with Providence, and support the strike.

Laura Wadlin, a Providence patient since she was a kid, said has had many discouraging experiences with rushed providers.

"Every time I go back, my fears are only confirmed, so that really reinforces the inclination not to even try," she said.

Keane and other union members are also concerned about acuity, or the level of care that a patient needs based on how sick they are. Keane said she wants nursing assignments tailored more towards patient need, rather than focusing on a staff-to-patient ratio, and said this issue is not unique to St. Vincent.

"This is something that system-wide we've seen issues with, so we know that systemic issues need systemic change, and that's really what we're working towards," she continued.

Providence said it is committed to following Oregon's staffing law, and is taking acuity into account. The nurses' association says 305 unsafe staffing complaints were filed against Providence in 2024.

A fiscally conservative advocacy group is pushing for the renewal of President-elect Donald Trump's Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

Americans for Prosperity launched a $20 million nationwide campaign earlier this week, urging Congress now is not the time for more taxes.

Andrea Moreno, executive director of Honest Arizona, said it comes at too high a price. She contends big corporations and the wealthy do not pay their fair share, which is why her organization is educating voters about the tax code's consequences.

Moreno stressed Trump's tax code would affect funding for such priorities as public education, access to health care and other safety net programs in Arizona and across the country.

"Cutting assistance like SNAP and WIC -- and as a mother, that is something that means a lot to me -- that would be detrimental for mothers and children as well," Moreno pointed out. "The ACA is another one, and making changes to Medicaid, which would definitely impact a lot of seniors."

Americans for Prosperity said if Congress isn't able to renew the measure, millions of Americans will have to pay an extra $1,500 or more in taxes next year. They project Arizonans could face an even steeper increase and face an extra $2,700 in 2026.

Moreno noted while Republicans have argued the plan will lead to economic growth, she disagrees and believes things like state and local public spending could be put in jeopardy.

Trump has proposed a number of tax policy changes, including cutting the maximum corporate income tax rate to 21%, redesigning international tax rules and providing a deduction for pass-through income. Such proposals would, on average, lead to a tax cut for the richest 5% of Americans and a tax increase for all other income groups, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.

Moreno argued it does not make sense.

"It is disproportionately helpful for the wealthy and not for people who actually need it," Moreno stressed.

Moreno encouraged Arizonans to get educated on the possible changes and to reach out to their elected officials to express their opinions on the tax code. She added it is important for democracy for everyone to make their voice heard.

"Your local politicians are really instrumental in some of these things," Moreno emphasized.


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