States with higher minimum wages have added more jobs over the past 12 months. That’s the conclusion of a new Economic Commentary [PDF] released by the Illinois Economic Policy Institute, which evaluates recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. … Continue reading States with Higher Minimum Wages Added More Jobs Over the Past Year
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
Inequality is on the rise. A recent ILEPI Economic Commentary shows Illinois’ growing inequality in two simple graphs. In Illinois, The Top 10 Percent and the Top 1 Percent of workers have experienced substantial increases in hourly earnings since 1985. Over … Continue reading Rising Wage Inequality in Illinois in 2 Graphs
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
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
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
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.
The Illinois Update 