Our researchers at the University of Illinois Project for Middle Class Renewal (PMCR) have developed a comprehensive approach to identify the factors that determine Employment Quality in Illinois (EQ-IL 2.0). It develops ten dimensions, each with sub-components, including both subjective and objective measures.Following up on EQ-Il 1.0, we use a large survey collected in 2023 of 5,600 employed […]
This report consists of two chapters addressing potential reforms for tipped minimum wage in the City of Chicago. The Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection sought the assistance of the University of Illinois and the University of Chicago in conducting a study required by the Chicago City Council that examines the economic impact […]
Researchers at the University of Illinois Project for Middle Class Renewal (PMCR), in partnership with Illinois Future of Work Taskforce, have developed an indicator of the quality of jobs throughout the state – Employment Quality of Illinois (EQ-IL). The effort was spurred by a partnership with Illinois’ Future of Work Taskforce. This indicator is based […]
Background: Unemployment, underemployment, and the quality of work are nationaloccupational health risk factors that drive critical national problems; however, to date, there havebeen no systematic efforts to document the public health impact of this situation. Methods: Anenvironmental scan was conducted to explore the root causes and health impacts of underemployment and unemployment and highlight multilevel […]
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted economic and educational systems. The economic downturn caused by the pandemic has had substantial and potentially long-term implications for women, with their labor force participation rate falling to its lowest level in three decades. Additionally, following the advice of public health experts, Illinois restricted face-to-face activities and closed in-person schools […]
This recent survey of over 3,300 Illinois workers provides a unique portrait of eight key dimensions of work hours and schedules, their distribution by types of jobs and workers. These dimensions arecontrasted across 23 different industries — those covered by Chicago’s Fair Workweek ordinance and those uncovered. Findings from this study reinforce the need to […]
Veterans in the Labor Market: Experiences of a Post 9/11 Generation contains the results of a research project that emerged through a community partnership between the Chez Veterans Center’s (CVC) Military Service Knowledge Collaborative at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the Project for Middle Class Renewal at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s School of Labor […]
PMCR, in collaboration with Chicago Jobs Council and UIC’s Great Lakes Center for Occupational Health and Safety are excited to share findings from their survey of Chicagoland workforce providers who are actively educating their participants about their rights on the job and pursuing collaborations with high road employers. Through connecting workers’ rights education to job […]
A briefing for policymakers on the impact of scheduling stability on workers in Chicago and in llinois.
Fair Workweek legislation has sprung up organically around the country in response to the prevalence and consequences of work schedules that may be unstable, unpredictable or unreliable. Labor standards need to be updated to deal with the widespread use of last minute, on-call or inadequate work hours, and their adverse consequences for workers. A new […]