Introduction Across Ohio, nonprofit organizations that fight poverty increasingly recognize the critical need for a living wage, yet budget constraints present challenges to making this a reality in their own organizations. Years of underinvestment through the state budget in safety net programs and local government have put a squeeze on
Next month, many of Ohio’s lowest-earning workers will get a pay boost when the minimum wage rises 25 cents, from $8.30 to $8.55. This increase ensures the minimum wage keeps pace with rising consumer prices, something Ohio citizens provided for when they voted to increase the minimum wage and keep
An estimated 1.3 million Ohio jobs are either completely or partially off limits to Ohioans with previous criminal convictions. That is one in four of the state’s jobs, according to a new report from Policy Matters Ohio, in collaboration with the Ohio Justice and Policy Center and the Fund for
By Michael Shields, Policy Matters Ohio and Pamela Thurston, Ohio Justice & Policy Center RecommendationsCollateral sanctions are far-reaching. Fixes at various levels of policy and practice include: The state legislature should eliminate excessive and arbitrary collateral sanctions against licensing and hiring. The Certificate of Qualification for Employment (CQE) process should
Each year, barriers that keep people with criminal convictions from getting certain jobs contribute to $3.4 billion in foregone wages, according to new analysis from Policy Matters Ohio. From getting a fishing license to running Bingo games, Ohio has more than 1,000 laws that limit what people previously convicted of
The consequences of a criminal conviction extend far beyond the sentence imposed in court. Ohio’s legislature and its administrative bodies have constructed an array of legal restrictions, called collateral sanctions, that can limit access to housing, licensing and jobs. Policy Matters Ohio has found that collateral sanctions limit or bar
The consequences of a criminal conviction extend far beyond the sentence imposed in court. Ohio’s legislature and its administrative bodies have constructed an array of legal restrictions, called collateral sanctions, that can limit access to housing, licensing and jobs. Policy Matters Ohio has found that collateral sanctions limit or bar
The manufacturing sector built this state. But decades of deindustrialization have left once-prosperous communities across Ohio poorer, weaker, and in some cases smaller. By 2016, Ohio had lost half of its peak manufacturing jobs, and median household income trailed the nation’s by $5,300. Fortunately, there are bright spots in Ohio’s
Ohio workers could lose $224 million This Monday, the Department of Labor (DOL) will close public comments on a proposed rule that would allow employers to confiscate the tips earned by workers. This would cost tipped workers in Ohio an estimated $224 million a year according to the Economic Policy
Ohio’s poorest workers will get a bump in pay next month when the state minimum wage rises 15 cents from $8.15 per hour to $8.30. About 146,000 Ohio workers who now earn less than $8.30 will see a small raise as a result of the automatic adjustment; another 478,000 earning
Good morning, Chairman Brinkman, Ranking Member Boccieri, and members of the Committee, my name is Michael Shields. I am a researcher with Policy Matters Ohio, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research institute whose mission is to create a more vibrant and equitable Ohio economy through public policy. Thank you for the opportunity
Those making more than $31,000 could still be out of luck Ohio salaried workers had $45 million per year on the line yesterday when the Trump administration issued a last minute decision to defend the administrative overtime rule set by the Department of Labor (DOL) last year. Unfortunately, the administration
