Publication Type: Fact Sheet

Six Ways to Build Women’s Economic Security and Strengthen NC Economy

The “Status of Women in North Carolina,” a report by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research and sponsored by the North Carolina Council for Women, illustrates the progress North Carolina has made toward gender equality—as well as the persistent obstacles to economic, social, and political advancement that women continue to face.

Family and Medical Leave Act: 20 Years Later

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the first and only legislation written specifically to help workers meet the dual responsibilities of family and work, was signed into law on February 5, 1993.

NC’s unemployment insurance fails standards that make the program effective

Unemployment insurance changes made in 2013 continue to play out poorly in communities across the state. Jobless workers have lost access to a system designed to provide temporary support while they seek new jobs, and communities facing significant job loss and persistently high unemployment have lost a stabilizing resource in their local economies.

U.S. Citizen Students with Undocumented Parents

North Carolina has introduced a new online system, the “Residency Determination Service” (RDS), for students applying to college to determine whether they are “residents” or “non-residents” for purposes of tuition.

H-2A Workers, Taxes, and the Affordable Care Act

Because they are in the United States lawfully on non-immigrant visas, H-2A workers are eligible to purchase an insurance policy through the federal Marketplace and to receive a tax credit to help pay for that insurance coverage.

Health Insurance Eligibility for Immigrants

If you are an immigrant in the United States, it is important to know your rights to access health insurance. This brochure includes the most common immigration statuses, common documentation for those statuses, and corresponding health insurance eligibility for Medicaid, NC Health Choice (CHIP) and the Federal Health Insurance Marketplace.

NC’s Medicaid Choice: Options and Implications

In 2013, Governor Pat McCrory and the North Carolina General Assembly chose not to expand Medicaid to those with incomes below 133% of the federal poverty line. Consequently, North Carolina today is among a minority of 24 states not receiving federal Medicaid expansion funding. Some states in this minority such as New Hampshire and Utah are moving towards accepting funding.

Expand Certificates of Relief

We propose the General Assembly expand eligibility for Certificates of Relief to individuals with multiple misdemeanor and low-level felony convictions, increase the waiting period for relief to 36-months for certain individuals, and establish a filing fee of $50.

Minimum Wage and the Economy

Many North Carolina workers are locked in low-wage jobs that don’t pay enough to make ends meet, even though they’re working full-time. Over the long-term, state lawmakers need to implement a comprehensive strategy that creates pathways out of this low-wage economy.