Illinois has a public service workers shortage. This includes thousands of unfilled teaching positions at local school districts. Labor shortages have been linked to inadequate pay and benefits as well as other issues like burnout. One proposed solution has been to reform the two-tiered retirement system for state and local government workers—half of whom are […]
Current wage equity issues exist in Illinois, especially among women, Black, and Hispanic workers. Policymakers must address gender/racial wage gap issues to enhance the state’s overall social equity and inclusiveness. To help policymakers achieve this goal, this Project for Middle Class Renewal (PMCR) report based on 2018-2022 data from the American Community Survey (ACS) reveals […]
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 […]
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 […]
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.
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 […]
The State of Illinois confronts serious budgetary challenges. While the state’s affinity for borrowing money, inaction in providing serious tax reform, and poor investment performance are primarily responsible for this large budget deficit, the Governor and other state legislators have supported measures to limit expenditures on employment costs as quick fixes to the problem. Paired […]