A recent Illinois Policy Institute article doesn’t tell a complete story. Continue reading “3 Simple Responses If You See a Post Claiming that 60,000+ Public Sector Workers in Illinois Make $100,000+”
With the State of Illinois finally having a new budget for the first time in two years, the Project for Middle Class Renewal at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the Illinois Economic Policy Institute evaluated the economic research on policy measures currently under consideration by state lawmakers.
The full report is available here: Public Policies That Grow the Illinois Economy: An Evidence-Based Review of the Current Debate. Continue reading “Education and Infrastructure Grow the Economy. Other Proposals Being Debated in Illinois Don’t.”
The Union-Business Case for Firm Relocation and Investment in Illinois and Peoria is available here.
In April 2016, the Project for Middle Class Renewal at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the Illinois Economic Policy Institute jointly released an economic commentary outlining the top ten reasons for a business to locate to the Peoria area in Illinois. The report, which was originally limited to the Peoria area, is now available to the broader public.
Continue reading “10 Reasons Why Peoria Remains a Great Place to Do Business”
NEW Study: A protracted shutdown of planned road and bridge projects could shrink the Illinois economy by nearly $2 billion on net, eliminate 23,000 jobs, and cost taxpayers up to $270 million over the next year. Continue reading “IDOT Shutdown Could Cost 23,000 Jobs and Hundreds of Millions of Dollars”
Prevailing wage rates reflect local market conditions in McHenry County. Continue reading “Five Reasons Why Prevailing Wage Works in McHenry County”
The Summer 2017 Edition of ILEPI’s newsletter, Illinois Insights, has been released. Continue reading “Illinois Insights – Summer 2017 Edition”
A new study finds that labor unions continue to face both short- and long-term challenges in Illinois. Last year, unionization declined by about 35,000 members in the state. However, the personal benefit to unionization remains strong, as unions raise hourly wages by 8 percent on average in Illinois.
Continue reading “The State of Illinois’ Unions in 2017”
In Friday’s release on state employment and unemployment, there are both positives and negatives for Illinois. On the positive side, Illinois had the 4th-largest decline in the unemployment rate over the past year and now has a lower unemployment rate than states like Georgia, Texas, and California. On the negative side, Illinois had the 9th-worst job growth over the year.
Continue reading “Illinois Unemployment Fell, But Job Growth Was Slow Over Past Year”
“Shoring up the middle means making bad jobs better, keeping good jobs good, and supporting the growth of the economy as a whole.” Continue reading “University of Illinois Report Takes the Pulse of Illinois’ Shrinking Middle Class”
“Right-to-work” does NOT increase union membership.
Right-to-Work Laws Reduce Union Membership
The movement to implement “right-to-work” (RTW) legislation has accelerated over recent years. Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, and West Virginia recently become “right-to-work” states. Missouri and Kentucky followed in 2017. Today, 28 states have “right-to-work” laws.
One of the main policy changes contributing to the decline of unionization across the United States is the ratification of “right-to-work” legislation. From 2015 to 2016, union membership in RTW states declined by over 293,000 members. Union membership declined in 20 of the 26 states (77%) with RTW laws.
The H-2B program grants visas to foreign workers to become employed at U.S. employers for temporary periods of time. The H-2B program is intended to address worker shortages in unskilled occupations. Migrant workers issued an H-2B visa can be employed for up to 9 months, but their visa may be extended for up to three years. Approximately 115,000 H-2B workers are currently in the United States.
The H-2B program often lowers wages for both foreign-born workers and U.S. citizens. Continue reading “The H-2B Guest Worker Program Unnecessarily Lowers Construction Worker Wages in Illinois”
The Illinois Economic Policy Institute (ILEPI) supports the Illinois Tollway Board’s decision to advance the Central Tri-State project, which will bring far-reaching benefits to the region, including economic development, job creation, and the increased ability to stay competitive.
Continue reading “The Illinois Tollway Board Advances the I-294 Central Tri-State Project”
The Illinois Update 