The report Under Attack: Texas’ Middle Class and the Opportunity Crisis, co-published by Center for Public Policy Priorities and national policy center Demos, examines how stagnant wages, falling union participation, the lack of good jobs and health benefits, and the rising cost of a college education are all squeezing the Texas middle class. As the report indicates, “The American Dream means working hard to learn, earn, save, and build assets so that our families are financially secure. These opportunities are in short supply in Texas.” By August 2011, when the report was published, Texas marked its 23rd month in which the state unemployment rate had exceeded 8 percent. With the state's jobless rate higher than the past two recessions, many more Texans are experiencing sharp losses in their family income and worried about their future. See the full report here.