Sick-leave fight in Ohio shows what President Obama faces
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama’s push to provide seven days of paid sick leave to all U.S. workers would affect about 2.2 million Ohioans who don’t currently have that benefit. WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama’s push to provide seven days of paid sick leave to all U.S. workers would affect about 2.2 million Ohioans who […]
Minimum wage increases
Ohio’s minimum wage increased on Jan. 1 by 15 cents for non-tipped employees and seven cents for tipped employees. Ohio workers will now make $8.10 an hour for non-tipped employees and $4.05 an hour, plus tips, for tipped employees, according to the Ohio Department of Commerce. The minimum wage increase is determined by the consumer […]
Poor hit hardest by state and local taxes
Ohio ranks 18th among states where low- and middle-income taxpayers pay larger share of their income in state and local taxes than the state’s most affluent residents, according to a study released Wednesday by Policy Matters Ohio. The poorest fifth of Ohio households earning less than $18,000 a year paid an average of 11.7 percent […]
Area businesses split on wage increase
As the relative standard of a livable wage sparks discussion and legislative shifts across the country, pay for minimum wage employees in Ohio was boosted 15 cents on Jan. 1, to $8.10 an hour. Though that’s higher than the federal standard of $7.25, it’s still less than referendums for $10 or more that appeared on […]
Changes To Severance Tax Derailed This Year
Raising the severance tax on oil and gas drillers has been a major issue in Ohio. Just when it seemed like policymakers were poised to take a big step towards a change — other issues got in the way. Andy Chow examines the 2014 stalemate in the severance tax debate. Going back-and-forth on the severance […]
Minimum wage increase will raise wages of 313,000 Ohioans
Ohio still owes $1.4B in unemployment debt
Lawmakers, Clark County businesses looking for a long-term solution. Ohio still owes almost $1.4 billion in debt to the federal government for its unemployment fund, costing Ohio businesses millions because they have to pay higher federal taxes to repay the debt. However, state lawmakers and Clark County business owners said they are optimistic there is […]
Official ODJFS Stats: 24 Bad Months For Gov. John Kasich On Job Creation
News sources reported today that Ohio’s unemployment rate, which was 5.7 percent in July and August, dropped to 5.6 percent for September, “slightly better than the national rate” of 5.9 percent for September. One headline, using monthly job statistics released by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, shouted, “Ohio’s unemployment rate fell to […]
Ohioans working harder, earning less
Ohio’s workers are more productive and better educated than in past decades, but that isn’t necessarily reflected in their paychecks, according to a new report. Ohio productivity grew by nearly 67 percent between 1979 and 2013, while median hourly wages fell by 1.1 percent when adjusted for inflation, according to a recent analysis of jobs […]
A Think Tank With a Shaker Edge
Download article (3pp) Shaker Life Magazine interviews director Amy Hanauer Read full article.
Ohio parents, officials are examining school vouchers for next year
The subhead for this Statehouse News Bureau story on vouchers says a lot: State keeps increasing size of one voucher program, though all vouchers have never been claimed http://www.wksu.org/news/story.php?/39003
How Ohio fails community college students
Editorial in the Akron Beacon Journal Ohio long has lagged behind the nation in its investment in higher education. A recent Policy Matters Ohio report examines the fallout. The Cleveland-based think tank notes that in 1991, the state dedicated $7.03 out of every $1,000 in personal income to higher education, ranking 38th among the states. […]