La Grange, IL: A survey of more than 500 Chicago area drivers for rideshare and delivery apps reveals that 62% of drivers work more than 30 hours per week, 41% earn less than $15 per hour, 40% are either uninsured … Continue reading SURVEY: Chicago Gig Drivers Face Low Earnings and High Health and Safety Risks, and 9-in-10 Say Drivers Should Have the Right to Unionize

Between 2015 and 2018, Six States Eliminated Minimum Standards for Skilled Trades Workers La Grange, IL: Six states that repealed their prevailing wage laws between 2015 and 2018 have experienced slower construction employment, decreased wage growth, lower workforce productivity growth, … Continue reading STUDY: Repeals of State Prevailing Wage Laws Have Cost Workers, Taxpayers, & the Construction Industry

For full details and to apply, click here: ILEPI Communications Intern. The Illinois Economic Policy Institute (ILEPI) is hiring! ILEPI seeks one (1) qualified candidate to employ as a part-time Communications Intern. The duties and responsibilities of the position will … Continue reading ILEPI is Hiring a Communications Intern

As COVID-19 Impacted Workers and the Economy, New Analysis Looks Back and Details which Workers Were Most Likely Out of Illinois’ Workforce    La Grange, IL: Between 2019 and 2021, total employment in Illinois shrank by a total of 4% (251,000 … Continue reading REPORT: Illinois Lost 250,000 Workers from 2019 to 2021. Here’s Who They Were.

Illinois is just the fifth state to produce $1 trillion in annualized economic activity. La Grange, IL: With data showing that Illinois now produces $1 trillion in annualized economic activity, a new study from the nonpartisan Illinois Economic Policy Institute … Continue reading Illinois Now Has a $1 Trillion Economy

Membership Declined Over Past Decade; New Organizing Occurring Most for Women and Young Workers; Military Veterans and African American Workers Most Likely to Be Union Members La Grange, IL: Last year, the number of workers who are union members in … Continue reading REPORT: Illinois’ Union Membership Grew Last Year for First Time Since 2017

Data Shows Unions Producing Better Outcomes for Workers, Worksites, and Public Budgets La Grange, IL: Illinois workers earn higher wages, deliver higher levels of productivity, are more likely to have health insurance, and are substantially less likely to suffer workplace … Continue reading Study: Workers’ Rights Amendment Would Promote Higher Job Quality for Workers and Essential Industries in Illinois

La Grange, IL:  A national survey of more than 2,200 registered nurses (RNs) conducted in the fall of 2021 reveals that the strain of the COVID-19 pandemic and current industry staffing practices have together left a majority of RNs considering … Continue reading NATIONAL SURVEY: Stress and Lack of Staffing Standards Cause Majority of Nurses to Say They Could Leave Profession

Kentucky’s 2017 repeal of prevailing wage failed to provide any cost savings on road construction projects. That’s the takeaway from a new peer-reviewed article in Public Works Management & Policy authored by ILEPI’s Frank Manzo IV, former ILEPI Midwest Researcher … Continue reading Kentucky’s Repeal of Prevailing Wage Failed to Save Money on Highway Projects

La Grange, IL:  A review of 2018-2021 Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) surveys of more than 5,000 member firms nationwide reveals that nonunion construction firms are facing significantly greater workforce supply problems than their union counterparts, and that these … Continue reading Contractor Surveys: The Construction Labor Shortage is Less Severe for Union Firms