Analysis of Port of Seattle Projects Shows PLAs Delivering Better Outcomes than Non-PLA Alternatives La Grange, IL: A first-of-its-kind analysis of construction projects from the Port of Seattle between 2016 and 2023—including airports and seaports—shows that project labor agreements (PLAs) … Continue reading Study Shows that Project Labor Agreements Promote Bid Competition, Control Costs, and Expand Pathways to Skilled Construction Careers

Efforts to Scale Back Project Could Undermine Billions in Projected Long-Term Economic Benefits La Grange, IL: As the City of Chicago and partner airlines negotiate over the future of the O’Hare 21 modernization program, a new report by the nonpartisan … Continue reading STUDY: Completing O’Hare Modernization Could Grow Economy Nearly $20 Billion and Create Almost 100K Jobs

Chicago, IL: A first-of-its-kind study on the effects of enacting a state-level Child Tax Credit (CTC) in Illinois finds that the policy would reduce child poverty, directly affect a majority of Illinois children, deliver significant income tax cuts to eligible … Continue reading STUDY: Illinois Child Tax Credit Would Reduce Child Poverty, Cut Taxes for Families with Children, and Grow the State’s Economy

Support Included Majorities of Democrats and Republicans; Members Think Amendment Will Promote High-Quality Jobs in Illinois Chicago, IL: Nine-in-ten union members voted in favor of the Workers’ Rights Amendment last year, including bipartisan majorities of Democratic and Republican members—according to … Continue reading SURVEY: 88% of Illinois’ Union Members Voted Yes on Workers’ Rights Amendment Last Year

On October 25, 2023, the Illinois Policy Institute (IPI) posted a critique of A Decade of Illinois’ Migration Patterns: Providing Demographic, Geographic, and Socioeconomic Context, a new study released jointly by the Illinois Economic Policy Institute (ILEPI) and the Project … Continue reading Why Critiques of the ILEPI-PMCR Migration Study Are Unfounded

Illinois Becoming More Urban, Higher Paid, and Less Reliant on Government Assistance Chicago, IL: An analysis of Current Population Survey data from the U.S. Census Bureau and Illinois Department of Revenue data shows that Illinois is NOT suffering the mass … Continue reading STUDY: Migration Trends Show Stability in Illinois Population and Growth in Its Tax Base

Chicago, IL: Workers at Illinois’ public universities are earning between 14% and 25% less than their counterparts employed directly by state government agencies, according to a first-of-its-kind study released by the Project for Middle Class Renewal (PMCR) at the University … Continue reading STUDY: Workers at Illinois’ Public Universities Earn Significantly Less than Peers in State Government

While Unionization Rates Continue to Fall, Researchers Contend that Job Growth in New Industries and Rising Public Sector Staff Vacancies Driving National Trends La Grange: Last year, as the number of union members in the U.S. workforce grew for the … Continue reading REPORT: Illinois Sees Surge in New Organizing Petitions, and Union Membership Grew Nationally for First Time Since 2017

County-Level Support Driven by Union Members, Military Veterans, Households with Children, and Households with Middle-Class Incomes

Chicago, IL: The Workers’ Rights Amendment passed in November 2022 with bipartisan support, driven by union members, military veterans, and households with middle-class incomes—according to a new political analysis conducted by the Project for Middle Class Renewal (PMCR) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the Illinois Economic Policy Institute (ILEPI).

Read the study, How the Workers’ Rights Amendment Passed in Illinois: A Political Analysis here.

Andy Warhol Bridge Project Study Underscores Vital Need for Local Hire Provisions to Maximize Value for Pennsylvania on Infrastructure Projects  

Press Release originally sent by the Keystone Research Center on February 16, 2023.

Pittsburgh, PA: Over the next five years, Pennsylvania will roll out an estimated $36.8 billion in state and federal transportation infrastructure with additional federal investments in climate infrastructure and U.S. manufacturing. Maximizing the benefits of these investments for Pennsylvania’s communities will require strong labor and local hiring standards, leading to good jobs for highly skilled construction workers in Pennsylvania. 

La Grange, IL:  Montana’s construction workers have higher job quality, are more likely to complete apprenticeship training, and deliver superior safety outcomes than those in neighboring states due to the state’s prevailing wage law, according to new research by the … Continue reading NEW STUDY: Montana Wage Law Strengthens Economy, Boosts Safety and Skilled Labor Supply For Construction Projects