We hear a lot about job creation as a tool for getting people out of poverty. But let’s face it, even if you have a job that pays enough for the rent, food, and a couple movies each month, you may not be accumulating wealth.

According to a recent study by the consulting group Asset Building Strategies, 22% of Americans -- and much larger percentages of women and minorities -- are what’s called “asset poor.” That means if their income went away, they would not have enough money or belongings to sell to keep them living at the poverty level for 3 months. So even if an economic recovery generates more jobs, those jobs alone may not be enough to create long-term financial stability.

As part of our project exploring the Economic Edge, KALW’s Rina Palta reports on how the worker-owned co-op may be filling that void.