The annual benefit of paying union dues is very high in Illinois, according to a new study. For every $1 paid in dues and fees, a union member gets back an estimated $6.12 in after-tax income. This financial return on investment is … Continue reading Union Members Get Back $6 for Every Dollar Contributed in Dues
The average “millennial” holds 7.2 jobs by the time he or she turns 29 years old, according to a new Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report released last Friday. The report adds even more evidence that we increasingly live in … Continue reading The Days of Working in a Stable Career Are Long Gone
Weakening prevailing wage by raising a contract threshold has negative impacts on local contractors, construction workers, and economies, according to a new study. The report, An Analysis of the Impact of Prevailing Wage Thresholds On Public Construction: Implications for Illinois, … Continue reading Prevailing Wage Contract Thresholds Lower the Bar in Public Construction
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. All states collect tax revenues in some form. Typically, the primary … Continue reading A Laffer Curve for State Income Taxes
Happiness levels of Americans vary across the country. However, there are steps that all states, even those with the highest happiness levels, can take to increase the aggregate well-being of their citizens. Happiness economics is a relatively new academic field … Continue reading Ways to Improve Happiness in America
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
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), or “Obamacare,” has greatly improved health insurance access and coverage in Illinois, according to a new Economic Commentary [PDF] by the Illinois Economic Policy Institute. Health care coverage increased in all of the 20 most populous counties in Illinois from 2013 to 2015.
The uninsured – who are disproportionately poor, young, and non-citizens – often go long periods of time with illness or injuries before seeking medical treatment due to the high out-of-pocket costs. The Affordable Care Act was enacted with the goal of increasing the quality of, affordability of, and number of residents with health insurance. The law expanded health care coverage opportunities for most Illinoisans by creating a “marketplace” of easily-accessible insurance plans.
Continue reading “How Illinois is Doing Since Health Care Reform”
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.
A new Economic Commentary [PDF] by the Midwest Economic Policy Institute demonstrates how school construction and water quality improvements are both vital to Iowa’s economy.
Investments in school construction allow students to learn in a positive environment, which can improve educational outcomes over the long run. Investments in water quality projects improve health outcomes for Iowa citizens, which can lower healthcare costs over the long run. Continue reading “Iowa Needs Investment in Both School Construction and Water Quality Projects”
The Illinois Update 