This report is the first in a five-part series on the “State of the Unions” for Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. All five reports are available at this link. CHICAGO- A new study released today finds that labor unions play … Continue reading The State of Illinois’ Unions in 2016
Report Finds That As Hundreds Of Thousands Of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Enter Work Force, Prevailing Wage Greatly Improves Economic Outcomes For Veterans A first-of-its-kind study released on May 10, 2016 finds that prevailing wage greatly improves economic outcomes … Continue reading Attacks On Prevailing Wage Laws Disproportionally Hurt Veterans
The story of Illinois’ manufacturing is way less cut-and-dried than some think tanks want you to believe. While Illinois has added fewer manufacturing jobs than Indiana over recent years, manufacturing earnings have grown at a much faster pace in Illinois. … Continue reading The Illinois Manufacturing Story is More of a Mixed Bag Than Some Say
Educators are the backbone of a strong, well-educated society. High quality and productive educators improve the economic prospects of future generations. It is critically important that students are provided the best environment for learning. Teachers’ unions are an institution that can have … Continue reading Teachers’ Unions Are Associated with Higher Student Test Scores
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
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
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
State legislators in Iowa could enact “high-road” policies to encourage the private sector to meet the impending skilled construction worker shortage, according to a new Economic Commentary [PDF] by the Midwest Economic Policy Institute. The construction industry has grown since the market … Continue reading Iowa’s Shortage of Skilled Construction Workers
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
Economists across the country have advocated for raising the minimum wage, claiming that the benefits outweigh the costs. For example, increasing the minimum wage has been found to boost consumer spending and reduce income inequality in the economy.
The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour and has not been increased since 2009. Though the federal rate has not increased in 7 years, many states and localities have raised their own minimum wages. Chicago raised its local minimum wage to $10.00 in 2015. By 2019, the City is expected to have a minimum wage of $13.00, per an ordinance passed by the City Council. Continue reading “Illinois Needs a $10 Minimum Wage Just to Keep Up With Inflation”
The Illinois Update 