SCHEDULING STABILITY FOR MORE OR FEWER WORKERS? A PROJECT FOR MIDDLE CLASS RENEWAL BRIEF
A briefing for policymakers on the impact of scheduling stability on workers in Chicago and in llinois.
By Year: 2019
OCCUPATIONAL LICENSING AND LABOR MARKET IMPACTS IN ILLINOIS AND THE MIDWEST: IS THERE A RIGIDITY EFFECT?
Occupational licensing is a governmental credential for a worker to practice legally in a profession, affecting 25% of the U.S. workforce. This report quantifies the rigidity effect of licensing using the employment fluctuation data in Illinois from 2005 to 2018. The impact of licensing also reduces job loss by one-third during a contracting economy. In … Read more
DO NURSE STAFFING STANDARDS WORK: EVIDENCE FROM A 2018 SURVEY OF REGISTERED NURSES
Illinois is experiencing a shortage of registered nurses caused by insufficient staffing levels that exacerbate occupational hazards and make it difficult to retain nurses. To address these issues and improve patient care, Illinois lawmakers are considering whether to follow California’s lead and adopt safe patient limits, which would establish patient-to-nurse ratios in Illinois’ hospitals. While … Read more
WAGE GAPS AND REPRESENTATION: GENDER AND RACE IN THE ILLINOIS HIGH TECH INDUSTRY
A new PMCR report by Dr. Han (Post-Doctoral Research Associate), “Wage Gaps and Representation: Gender and Race in The Illinois High Tech Industry” examines Illinois tech workers’ employment and wages across gender and race groups in three core tech occupations: executives, managers, and professionals as a first step to increasing the diversity of Illinois’ tech … Read more
THE IMPACT OF ENACTING A PROGRESSIVE INCOME TAX IN ILLINOIS
Illinois has the one of the most unfair tax systems in the United States. In response, Governor J.B. Pritzker and the General Assembly have debated whether to amend the Illinois Constitution to allow the state to replace its flat-rate income tax system with a progressive (or “graduated-rate”) income tax. Illinois is currently one of only … Read more
ILLINOIS VETERANS EMPLOYMENT AND EARNINGS PROFILES: THE IMPACT OF LOCAL LABOR MARKETS
Currently around 631,029 veterans (men and women) of all eras and 90,000 post-9/11 veterans reside in Illinois. Prior studies at the national level suggest that post-9/11 veterans are at higher risk of unemployment and face earnings penalties or premiums in different occupations and sectors once they get a job. As the local labor market contexts … Read more
A “PENSION CRISIS” MENTALITY WON’T HELP | Thinking Differently About Illinois’ Retirement Systems
The near ubiquitous claim that Illinois is facing a “pension crisis” has rarely been challenged. The failure to examine this customary framing of the fiscal condition of Illinois’ five state pension systems limits how policymakers conceptualize their funding strategy. This white paper, jointly authored by researchers from the Project for Middle Class Renewal at the … Read more
LEGALIZING SPORTS BETTING IN ILLINOIS: EVALUATING POLICY OPTIONS AND FISCAL IMPACTS
If Illinois were to legalize sports betting through the Sports Wagering Act proposed last year, net revenues for the gaming industry would increase by $400 million and about 1,800 new jobs would be created at between 30 and 75 licensed locations. The proposed bills would also raise state tax revenue by between $50 million and … Read more
THE REGIONAL IMPACTS OF A $15 MINIMUM WAGE IN ILLINOIS: ESTIMATES FOR SIX REGIONS
The last time that Illinois increased its minimum wage was in July 2010. A total of 13 states now have minimum wages of $10 per hour or higher, and four have enacted legislation to gradually raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour. Recent research shows that raising the minimum wage boosts worker incomes while … Read more
THE ILLINOIS NURSING SHORTAGE: ASSESSING THE NEED FOR SAFE PATIENT LIMITS AND COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
Illinois is experiencing a shortage of Registered Nurses (RNs). This shortage of RNs is caused by numerous factors, including rising demand for health care services, the labor market competitiveness of Illinois nursing jobs, and insufficient staffing levels that can exacerbate the occupational hazards of the profession and undermine the quality of patient care. To improve patient … Read more