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Indexing the Minimum Wage: A Vise on Entry-Level Wages
March 2003 · Employment Policies Institute ·
Indexing the minimum wage is a rising trend at the state and local levels. Whether through a ballot initiative, as in Washington and Oregon, or state legislature, as was the case in Alaska, efforts have increased in the recent years to tie minimum wage increases to specific economic indicators such as the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Washington, Oregon, and Alaska all have minimum wages exceeding the federal… -
The Effects of the Proposed Santa Fe Minimum Wage Increase
February 2003 · Dr. David A. Macpherson - Florida State University ·
On February 27, 2002, Santa Fe, New Mexico passed a “living wage” law that applied to most city employees and city contractors. Including Santa Fe there are now more than 90 living wage ordinances across the country, and at least 100 campaigns currently underway. Living wage advocates press for larger and more inclusive living wage laws requiring employers to pay according to the perceived needs of employees,… -
The Local Area Unemployment Crisis
June 2002 · Employment Policies Institute ·
The economy continued its nationwide decline in 2001, and many more communities fell further off the pace. Unemployment rose across the country in dozens of counties and cities with unemployment rates from 9% to more than 20%. As the economy continues to struggle toward recovery, jobs are more difficult to come by, and the areas that are already the worst off will have little chance at improvement.… -
The Economic Well-Being of Low-Income Working Families
March 2002 · Dr. John P. Formby - University of Alabama, Dr. John A. Bishop - East Carolina University, Mr. Hoseong Kim - University of Alabama ·
Who is poor in America? Beginning in the late 1960s, the federal government has tried to answer that question with an annual poverty count. Politicians and pundits alike await the government’s numbers, now published each September. The shape of the September numbers and the interpretive stories accompanying their release frequently affect the election debate in November. Although most people recognize that poverty measurement is subjective and not… -
The Long-Term Effects of Youth Unemployment
October 2001 · Dr. Thomas A. Mroz - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Dr. Timothy H. Savage - Welch Consulting Economists ·
The era of high employment has taken a sharp downward turn. The U.S. economy was cooling rapidly even before terrorism entered the picture. Employee layoffs are now measured in the hundreds of thousands. Many of these employees were entry-level workers just starting their careers. The Labor Department’s statistics on teenage and young adult employment reflect a substantial rise in unemployment rates. With unemployment rising in nearly every… -
The Local Unemployment Crisis
August 2001 · Employment Policies Institute ·
During 2000, there was a distinct downturn in the economy nationwide, and some communities that were previously lagging fell even further behind. Residents in scores of counties and cities struggled through the year with unemployment rates from 9% to more than 20%. As the nation seems to be headed into recession, and jobs continue to dry up, the areas that are already the worst off will have…