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

So-Called “Right-to-Work” Laws and Janus Decision Have Eroded Job Quality of In-Demand Jobs  La Grange, IL: States that protect collective bargaining rights have higher average worker earnings, experience faster wage growth, and have added union members since 2013, according to … Continue reading STUDY: States that Protect Collective Bargaining Are Gaining Union Members and Raising Worker Earnings

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

La Grange, IL:  Over the past six years, funding for Indiana’s state and local transportation projects has increased by $1.2 billion annually, the percentage of the state’s road miles considered in “good” condition has nearly doubled, and its percentage of … Continue reading Study Links Significant Improvements in Indiana Road Conditions with New Laws that Increased Funding for Transportation Projects

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.

Continue reading “Workers’ Rights Amendment was Bipartisan and Outperformed Democrats in Rural and White Working-Class Communities”

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. 

Continue reading “NEW REPORT: Vital Need for Local Hire Provisions to Maximize Value on Infrastructure Projects”

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