By Author: Frank Manzo

CONSTRUCTION APPRENTICESHIPS AS A CAREER DEVELOPMENT ALTERNATIVE IN MICHIGAN | Enrollment, Diversity, Hours, Completion Rates, and Earnings in Registered Apprenticeship Programs

Registered apprenticeships are training programs in which participants “earn while they learn” with tuition costs covered by employers or joint labor-management organizations, who gain access to a stable pool of skilled workers. Apprenticeship training is particularly important to combating skilled labor shortages in construction. Joint labor-management apprenticeship programs account for the vast majority of registered … Read more

How the Workers’ Rights Amendment Passed in Illinois | A Political Analysis

In November 2022, a majority of Illinois voters approved the Workers’ Rights Amendment, which guarantees the fundamental right of workers to unionize and bargain collectively. The Amendment passed with 2.2 million votes. Of all the ballots cast, the vote was 53.4 percent yes to 37.6 percent no, with 9.0 percent not voting. The Workers’ Rights … Read more

Quality of the Gig | An Analysis of App-Based Platform Drivers’ Working Conditions in the Greater Chicago Area

The growth of drivers working for app-based platforms who are treated as “independent contractors” is characterized by the companies having no federal responsibility to pay minimum wage, protect workers against sexual harassment, or offer workers paid leave or health care benefits. Excluded from the National Labor Relations Act, independent contractors like gig workers also lack … Read more

The Economic Impact of Prevailing Wage Law Repeals on Construction Market Outcomes | Evidence from Repeals Between 2015 and 2018

Prevailing wage laws establish minimum wages for skilled construction workers employed on taxpayer-funded projects. The main purpose of prevailing wage laws is to protect local construction standards in the competitive low-bid process. The laws create a level playing field for all construction contractors by ensuring that public expenditures maintain and reflect local market standards for … Read more

Economic Outcomes of Women and Children in Illinois Compared to States that Have Banned or Are Likely to Ban Abortion

Cover of the report "THE ECONOMIC OUTCOMES OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN ILLINOIS COMPARED TO STATES THAT HAVE BANNED OR ARE LIKELY TO BAN ABORTION" shows a semi-transparent image of three women looking downwards at something unseen. They are mid-conversation.

On June 24th of 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court voted 6-3 in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization to overturn Roe v. Wade, upending a five decades-long precedent on women’s reproductive healthcare rights.Previous research has linked reproductive healthcare with improved outcomes for women and children.• The legalization of abortion reduced teen motherhood by 34 percent.• … Read more

An Economic Impact Analysis of Hiring Local in Springfield, Missouri

A local business preference ordinance has been proposed to support small businesses, prevent high unemployment, and increase municipal tax revenues in Springfield, Missouri. The ordinance would provide an 8 percent bid credit to law-abiding local businesses bidding on the City’s public works projects.A strong Springfield is built locally by highly trained workers. Awarding public works … Read more

The State of the Unions 2022 | A Profile of Unionization in Chicago, in Illinois, and in the United States

Labor unions have historically delivered pathways into good, middle-class careers. Through collective bargaining, union workers earn higher wages, are more likely to have health insurance coverage, and have greater access to paid leave. A recent surge in union activity is taking place following years of worsening inequality, the COVID-19 pandemic, and a national labor shortage.Read … Read more