Pre-apprenticeship programs, or apprenticeship readiness programs, have emerged as key pathways into skilled trade careers. By increasing the number of qualified workers eligible for registered apprenticeship programs, pre-apprenticeships combat skilled labor shortages in the construction industry. In Illinois, the two largest pre-apprenticeship programs are the Highway Construction Careers Training Program and the Illinois Works Pre-Apprenticeship […]
Illinois is facing a housing shortage that has fueled increases in home prices and rental rates and negatively affected the economy. With home prices rising by 9 percent and asking rents increasing by as much as 10 percent across Illinois in 2024, this report explores the severity of the housing shortage and housing affordability issue […]
Registered apprenticeships are career training programs in which participants “earn while they learn” with tuition costs covered by employers or joint labor-management organizations, who gain access to domestic supply pools of skilled workers. Apprenticeship training is vital to the success of the construction industry, which accounts for 70 percent of apprenticeships in Wisconsin. While across […]
Bipartisan public approval of labor unions remains near historic highs. Data shows that unions boost workers earnings, expand health insurance coverage, and improve access to paid leave. Though the unionization rate fell nationally, the United States added union members in 2023 for the second consecutive year.The United States added 135,000 new union members in 2023, […]
Project labor agreements (PLAs) are pre-hire agreements that establish terms and conditions of employment for all crafts on large infrastructure projects. The mutual agreements are between a construction owner—such as a contractor, developer, or public body—and a coalition of labor unions supplying skilled workers for the duration of the project. The main purpose of a […]
In July 2021, Governor JB Pritzker signed House Bill 3940, amending the Motor Vehicle Franchise Act to ensure that auto mechanics at Illinois’ car dealerships earn equal pay for equal work.The bipartisan law, which is also referred to as the Multiplier Act, passed 85-24 in the House and 58-0 in the Senate. It removed a […]
A Child Tax Credit is a credit for each child or dependent that households can claim on tax returns. The federal Child Tax Credit covers children under 17 years old and was temporarily expanded in 2021 under the American Rescue Plan Act. The expanded Child Tax Credit increased the amount of the credit, included 17-year-olds, […]
In November 2022, Illinois voters approved the Workers’ Rights Amendment, guaranteeing the fundamental right of workers to unionize and bargain collectively. The Amendment passed with 2.2 million votes, receiving 59 percent approval on the question and 53 percent yes votes among all ballots cast.In the summer of 2023, the Project for Middle Class Renewal at […]
Reports of Illinois’ population decline have been greatly exaggerated due to a reliance on faulty Census estimates instead of actual counts of people. An analysis of Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement survey data from 2013 through 2022 and Illinois Department of Revenue data from 2010 through 2020 can provide clarity and context, […]
Workers at Illinois’ public universities are earning between 14% and 20% less than their counterparts employed directly by state government agencies, according to a first-of-its-kind study released by the Project for Middle Class Renewal (PMCR) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the Illinois Economic Policy Institute (ILEPI).Read full report here.