The Illinois Economic Policy Institute (ILEPI) is hiring! For full details and to apply, click here: ILEPI Policy Analyst. [UPDATE: This position was filled as of May 20, 2016.] ILEPI seeks one (1) qualified candidate to employ as a full-time Policy Analyst, Budget … Continue reading ILEPI is Seeking a Policy Analyst!
Note: This post is an excerpt from The History of Economic Inequality in Illinois: 1850-2014 [PDF], published and released by the Illinois Economic Policy Institute on March 4, 2016. Although Illinois cannot completely counter national trends, the state and local governments … Continue reading 10 Potential Ways to Reduce Inequality in Illinois
As Illinois’ Voters Go to the Polls, An Important Message to Remember In American government classes, students are taught that American politics is a pluralist system. In theory, they are told, this arrangement prevents extreme outcomes because competing groups tend … Continue reading The Middle Class Needs Strong Unions
We’re sick of the dysfunction in Illinois.
As someone who was born after 1981, I am considered a “millennial.” Last summer, my generation became the largest cohort in America.
We outnumber all other generations, but still it often seems that elected officials in Springfield have little concern for our general well-being.
Millennials tend to think that the government should be more involved in making college affordable, helping the poor, and creating jobs. We care about equality – both economic and social. And a smaller share of us sees a real difference between the Republicans and the Democrats.
So let’s just take a quick look at how Illinois is faring on those policy issues – college affordability, helping the poor, job creation, and equality. Continue reading “Grow Up.”
First-Of-Its-Kind Study for Illinois Finds that Inequality has Increased to Great Depression-Era Levels, Driven by a Redistribution of Wealth from Labor to Capital
Economic inequality in Illinois has increased to levels not seen in decades, according to a new study by the Illinois Economic Policy Institute (ILEPI).
The report, entitled The History of Economic Inequality in Illinois: 1850-2014, is the first ever historical analysis of wealth inequality, income inequality, and the labor-capital divide in Illinois.
Labor economists have explained that lower job turnover is one of the reasons why raising the minimum wage has very little impact on employment, contrary to classical economic theory. A higher minimum wage makes it easier for employers to recruit … Continue reading Prevailing Wage States Have Fewer Job Separations in Construction
Two weeks ago, I wrote about how more infrastructure investment would kickstart the Illinois economy. Transportation infrastructure investment is one government spending item that conclusively boosts employment and reduces costs over the long run. Investment in human capital– in education and skills– is another.
Unfortunately, data from the Social Science Research Council’s Measure of America (scroll down for full data) illustrate how little the State of Illinois spends on transportation infrastructure and higher education compared to the rest of the country.
FIRST OF ITS KIND NATIONAL STUDY EXAMINES ECONOMIC, SOCIAL, AND FISCAL IMPACTS OF STATE PREVAILING WAGE LAWS Report Concludes that Construction Wage Standards are Cost Neutral, Boost Economies and Public Budgets, and Promote Middle Class Career Pathways for Minorities and … Continue reading State Prevailing Wage Laws Save or Create 400,000 Jobs in America
Frank Manzo IV is the Policy Director of the Illinois Economic Policy Institute (ILEPI). Visit ILEPI at www.illinoisepi.org or follow ILEPI on Twitter @illinoisEPI. This post is part of the “Frankonomics” series. Physical infrastructure investment is one of the main government expenditures that conclusively enhances … Continue reading More Infrastructure Investment Would Kickstart Illinois
In a decision on Wednesday, a federal judge in Kentucky ruled that the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) prohibits local units of government from enacting “right-to-work” zones.
Frank Manzo IV is the Policy Director of the Illinois Economic Policy Institute (ILEPI). Visit ILEPI at www.illinoisepi.org or follow ILEPI on Twitter @illinoisEPI. This is part of the “Frankonomics” series.
Illinois’ middle class is relatively strong in 93 of the state’s 102 counties, according to the Measure of America by the Social Science Research Council.
One of the many outcomes included in the Measure of America is the Gini coefficient for every county across America. Gini coefficients are the most commonly used measure of income inequality. The coefficient ranges from 0, which represents complete equality, to 1, which reflects complete inequality (i.e., one person has all the income).
For the United States, the national average Gini coefficient is 0.469. Fully 93 out of 102 counties in Illinois have a Gini coefficient below the national average.
Continue reading “93 Out of 102 Counties in Illinois Have Low Income Inequality”
Frank Manzo IV is the Policy Director of the Illinois Economic Policy Institute (ILEPI). Visit ILEPI at www.illinoisepi.org or follow ILEPI on Twitter @illinoisEPI. This post is part of the “Frankonomics” series. Year after year, economic data show that income inequality is rising. … Continue reading The Economic Reasons to Care about Income Inequality
The Illinois Update 