摘要:Most microeconomic research on poverty focuses on individual behavior and decision-making: examples include the choice of schooling, responses to welfare programs and tax reforms, and decisions about marriage and family. Most people, however, if asked to identify the key to economic success, will say “getting a good job.” During the recent recession, many workers, especially older ones, have lost good, high-paying jobs and have not been able to replace them, thus suffering large, persistent losses in income. One might think that someone who was working at a high-paying job could find another employer who would be willing to hire him or her at nearly the same wage. But in reality, getting a good job is hard, and often takes many years. Losing a good job—especially for older workers—can mean the end of a rewarding career and relegation to the secondary sector, where many jobs are part-time, and few offer health insurance or pension benefits