Tag: research report

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Prevailing Wage Is the Local Market Rate in Illinois

Frank Manzo IV

A new report from the Illinois Economic Policy Institute (ILEPI) finds no evidence for the assertion that prevailing wage “inflates” construction worker wages in Illinois. In fact, after analyzing counties along Illinois’ border, the report finds that a higher prevailing wage for operating engineers has no statistical impact on employment or turnover for men working in road construction. Instead, local market conditions are by far the primary drivers of public construction outcomes.  Continue reading “Prevailing Wage Is the Local Market Rate in Illinois”

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Prevailing Wage Contract Thresholds Lower the Bar in Public Construction

Frank Manzo IV

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

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Economic Inequality in Illinois

Frank Manzo IV

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.

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Study – Union Power in Illinois is Significant, but Waning

Frank Manzo IV

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.

CHICAGO- A new study released today finds that labor unions play a vital role in Illinois’ communities and economy, but face major challenges. The study, The State of the Unions 2015: A Profile of Unionization in Chicago, in Illinois, and in America [PDF] was conducted by researchers at the University of Illinois (Robert Bruno, PhD), the University of Chicago (Virginia Parks, PhD), and the Illinois Economic Policy Institute (Frank Manzo IV, MPP).

Since 2005, union membership in Illinois has declined by approximately 97,000 workers, contributing to the 1.12 million drop in union members across the nation. Declining unionization in Illinois has primarily been the result of decreases in male, Latino/a, and private sector unionization.

However, there has been some good news for those in the Illinois labor movement. From 2012 to 2014, the state’s unionization rate increased from 14.6 percent to 15.1 percent, and total union membership increased by about 30,000 workers. Continue reading “Study – Union Power in Illinois is Significant, but Waning”

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Paper: Raise State Minimum Wage to Stimulate Illinois Economy

Frank Manzo IV

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.

The following post appeared as a press release from the University of Illinois News Bureau at this link.

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CONTACT: Phil Ciciora, Business and Law Editor 217-333-2177; pciciora@illinois.edu

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Raising the minimum wage in the state of Illinois to $10 per hour would reduce income inequality, increase consumer demand and grow the state economy, according to a new study from a University of Illinois labor expert.

Robert Bruno, a professor of labor and employment relations on the Urbana campus, says increasing the minimum wage from its current rate of $8.25 per hour would have a substantial stimulative effect on the state economy but not much of an effect – positive or negative – on employment.

“We analyzed the impact that raising the minimum wage has on employment, hours and income, and concluded that it’s the best way to reduce wage inequality, grow the state economy and ensure that workers are paid a wage that’s commensurate with the cost of living,” said Bruno, also the director of the Labor Education Program in Chicago. “And most importantly, we found that raising the minimum wage would have no discernible negative effect on total employment.”

Bruno and study co-author Frank Manzo IV, the policy director of the Illinois Economic Policy Institute [@IllinoisEPI], also advocate for a host of other public policy recommendations, including: Continue reading “Paper: Raise State Minimum Wage to Stimulate Illinois Economy”