Does Working Full-Time Guarantee Hospital Service Workers' Material Well-Being? A Latent Class Regression Analysis.

This article examines material hardship among full-time, lower-wage hospital service, clerical, and technical workers employed at a large hospital in Western Pennsylvania, a group often considered to have "good jobs" due to wages above minimum wage and fringe benefits. Using survey data, the study identified two distinct hardship groups—high-hardship and low-hardship—with higher wages, better health, and White race associated with lower risk of multiple concurrent hardships, while having more children and receiving assistance from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) were linked to higher hardship risk. The research found that participation in other antipoverty programs, such as the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), public housing or Section 8, and the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), was not significantly related to hardship status. The findings suggest policy implications including raising wages, expanding and improving antipoverty program accessibility and effectiveness, enhancing preventive health services, and providing more comprehensive childcare support. Limitations include the study’s cross-sectional design, a single geographic location, and a relatively small number of public benefit recipients, which may affect generalizability.