In this report, researchers at the University of Illinois’ Project for Middle Class Renewal examine differences in access to quality jobs in Illinois by gender, education, and ethnicity. Using our Employment Quality in Illinois 2.0 (EQ-IL 2.0) survey data of over 5,000 workers across Illinois, we created a measure of job quality that utilizes 30 […]
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 […]
For over two years, the COVID-19 pandemic stressed nurses and tested their skills and stamina. Preexisting nursing shortages deepened, leading to heightened workloads and severe burnout among nurses. Now, in the aftermath of COVID, a new survey reveals a continuing crisis of nurses’ mental and physical well-being, patient care quality, and the overall public health […]
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 […]
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 […]
Registered nursing faces a crisis. For over two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has stressed nurses, tested their skills and stamina, and exacerbated labor shortages. Each of these factors have significant implications for standards of patient care within America’s health care industry.Results from a fall 2021 survey of more than 2,200 registered nurses in hospitals across […]
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 […]
While a majority of Republicans and Democrats support paid family leave, the United States is the only developed country that does not guarantee some form of paid family leave for new parents. While the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides 12 weeks of job protection for mothers to care for newborns, the leave is […]
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 […]
How happy are people in Illinois and how well are they doing? Specifically, how well is Illinois producing a high and growing standard of living for its working households? How well are its working citizens faring generally? How would we measure the answer to this question? Howcan we help Illinois’ households to become happier? This […]