Ohio’s incarcerated population quadrupled between 1978 and 2014, increasing from 13,125 to 52,500 — 450 in every 100,000 Ohioans. Still more served time in jail. Incarceration rates have grown steadily over four decades while crime rates varied. Ohio’s high prison rates reflect a punitive understanding of what constitutes a crime,
Under President Barack Obama, the U.S. Department of Labor planned to extend overtime protection to 12.5 million American workers, including 351,000 Ohioans, by updating the rule that exempts some salaried workers. Ohio was among a group of states that sidelined that effort with a lawsuit to block its implementation. Now
Although high school graduation rates are going up, for young people living in Greater Cleveland, living wage jobs are hard to come by – especially for young Clevelanders of color. Between 2013 and 2015, Clevelanders between the ages of 18 and 29 faced an unemployment rate of 13.8 percent, five
Introduction Young people in Greater Cleveland face challenges to finding work, especially in jobs that pay a living wage. This is despite the fact that young Clevelanders have increased their high school graduation rates, post-secondary education and labor force participation rates. Youth of color face additional challenges. Photo: US Department
Increasing Ohio’s minimum wage from $8.15 to $15 an hour by 2025 would give 1.8 million Ohio workers a raise. This would boost the economy and help low-wage workers make up lost ground, according to a new report by Policy Matters Ohio. While the Ohio economy has grown more than
Introduction Ohio’s minimum wage workers need and deserve a raise. The state’s poverty levels exceeded the nation’s for the first time in 2006, and have done so every year since. The Great Recession hit workers here hard, and Ohio job numbers did not regain 2007 levels until eight years into
Cleveland residents struggle to afford safe and secure housing. A higher minimum wage would help. More than 66,000 families in Cuyahoga County who rent their homes are considered housing insecure. Those who are housing insecure face hardships including high costs as a share of their income, poor home quality, unstable
The Ohio legislature voted yesterday to set aside a controversial provision in the Bureau of Workers Compensation budget bill (HB27) that would have put undocumented workers and those who work with them at risk. Last month, the state House of Representatives passed the budget with an amendment that would have
Chair Hottinger, Vice Chair Hackett and members of the Committee, my name is Michael Shields. I am a researcher with Policy Matters Ohio, a research institute that conducts research and advocates for a more vibrant and equitable Ohio economy. Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony on House Bill
After receiving pressure from advocates and concerned citizens, today the Ohio Senate Insurance and Financial Institutions Committee struck a measure from Ohio’s Bureau of Workers’ Compensation Budget bill that would have put workers and businesses at risk. Workers Compensation was established so that injured workers could get the medical treatment
More than 200 Ohio workers were killed on the job in 2015 alone. Nearly 105,000 others were hurt or made sick by exposure to workplace hazards. Workers’ Compensation laws are designed not only to treat injured workers and replace lost wages, but to motivate employers to prevent injuries before they
Quality preschool and childcare is expensive. In Mahoning Valley, cash strapped centers struggle to deliver good programs, while parents struggle to afford them. To bridge the gap, the Valley needs deeper state investments, according to a report released today by Policy Matters Ohio and the Eastern Ohio Education Partnership. The
