The numbers: Revised data released today by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) show that Ohio employers added just 18,300 jobs in 2019. This is a downward revision from an already weak initial report in January. Based on the new data, 2019 remains Ohio’s worst year for
Good morning, Chair McColley, Vice Chair Johnson, Ranking Member Antonio and members of the committee. My name is Michael Shields and I am a researcher at Policy Matters Ohio, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization with the mission of creating a more prosperous, equitable, sustainable and inclusive Ohio. Thank you for
The simplest way workers can ensure their employers have paid them all they’re owed is to check their paystubs. But Ohio is among just nine states with no requirement that employers provide a pay statement to employees. Ohio Reps. Brigid Kelly and Nino Vitale want to change that with House
The simplest way workers can ensure their employers have paid them all they’re owed is to check their paystubs. But Ohio is among just nine states with no requirement that employers provide a pay statement to employees.[1] Ohio Reps. Brigid Kelly and Nino Vitale want to change that with House
New analysis released today by Policy Matters Ohio shows that if Ohioans vote to increase the state’s minimum wage to $13 an hour by 2025, 1.4 million Ohioans will be better able to put food on the table, pay for rent and afford the basic costs of living. Ohio’s minimum
Introduction Thousands of Ohioans of all walks of life work hard but don’t take home enough to cover the basics. They need a raise. Ohio’s minimum wage is too low. An Ohioan with a family of three who works full-time and is paid the minimum wage earns $18,096 a year,
New analysis by Policy Matters Ohio shows Senate Bill 3 would help people with minor drug possession convictions by removing 268 legal barriers – known as collateral sanctions – to jobs and professional licensing. Last year, Senators John Eklund (R-Munson Township) and Sean O’Brien (D-Bazetta) introduced SB 3, which would
For too long, Ohio has taken a punitive approach to criminal justice. Today the state holds 50,000 people in over-crowded prisons that are unsafe for both prisoners and the guards who oversee them. Once released, they face a web of laws that restrict access to work based on their conviction.
Cost of living increases keep workers from getting pay cut Next month, Ohio’s minimum wage gets a 15-cent bump to $8.70 to keep pace with rising prices. The change will benefit 84,000 of Ohio’s lowest paid working people, two-thirds of whom are adults. Yet even with the inflation increase, Ohio’s
The agreement reached today between General Motors and 48,000 United Autoworkers who have been on strike since September 15th will make some workers’ jobs more secure. It is now time for the state to invest in the working families GM left behind. The UAW strike pushed GM to finally reform
Policy Matters calls for lawmakers to strengthen HB 263 More than 850 laws and administrative rules limit access to work for Ohioans with a criminal record. The Fresh Start Act, House Bill 263, takes aim at the 630 that limit job opportunities through occupational licensing. Policy Matters Ohio Researcher Michael
Good afternoon, Chair Manning, Vice Chair Dean, Ranking Member Lepore-Hagan, and members of the Committee. My name is Michael Shields and I am a researcher at Policy Matters Ohio, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization with the mission of creating a more vibrant equitable, sustainable and inclusive Ohio. Thank you for
