Economy

A Prolonged Shutdown Will Damage PA Economy

The Pennsylvania economy remains very weak with high unemployment and sluggish job growth so far this year. Federal policymakers are partly to blame for cutting funding to schools and other services and not doing enough to support investments that build a stronger economy.

State General Fund Collections on Target Through First Quarter of 2013-14

Posted by Shelley Aragoncillo on October 3, 2013 8:31 am
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General Fund collections in September exceeded revenue targets by $15 million, creating a very modest fiscal-year-to-date surplus of $13 million, 0.2% over estimate.

Collections in September are important to monitor as it is the first month of the fiscal year in which significant collections of quarterly personal income and corporate net income taxes are made. So far, so good, as corporate taxes came in $8 million below estimate for the month, while personal income tax collections exceeded estimate by $8 million.

High Road Restaurant Owners Speak Out for Higher Minimum Wage

Posted by Stephen Herzenberg on September 23, 2013 7:05 am
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A few weeks ago, we responded to criticism about the feasibility of a $15-per-hour wage for fast food workers. In that post, we highlighted two "high road" employers, one a fast-food chain, as living examples of the feasibility — and profitability — of paying workers better.

Secretary for the Selective Use of Statistics

Posted by Mark Price on September 19, 2013 12:57 pm
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On September 6, Pennsylvania Labor & Industry Secretary Julia K. Hearthway chided the Patriot-News — and, indirectly, the Keystone Research Center — for “selective use of statistics” when the paper (relying on The State of Working Pennsylvania 2013) accurately summarized the poor performance of the Pennsylvania economy from the perspective of most workers.

How Does Job Growth in Pennsylvania Measure Up?

Posted by Mark Price on September 11, 2013 8:58 am
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In this year's State of Working Pennsylvania, we decided to look once again at the pace of job growth in Pennsylvania relative to the other 49 states. What's different about our analysis this time is that we compare Pennsylvania's job performance at comparable points in the economic recovery that followed each of the last three recessions.

Another Ho Hum Jobs Report in August

Posted by Mark Price on September 6, 2013 12:27 pm
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The nation's unemployment rate dropped by one-tenth of a percentage point to 7.3% in August and non-farm payrolls expanded by 169,000 jobs over the month, according to a report today from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Here is a rundown of reactions from DC’s top labor economists to today’s jobs report:

With Unemployment High, Pennsylvania's Economy Has Been Creating Lots of Bad Jobs

In this year’s State of Working Pennsylvania, our annual evaluation of the health of the economy from the perspective of the middle class, three findings stand out:

  • A definite weakening in the overall pace of job growth in Pennsylvania since January 2010 largely driven by the loss of 45,000 jobs in the public sector

The State of Working PA This Labor Day

Posted by Chris Lilienthal on August 30, 2013 12:59 pm
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Coming on the heels of a day when thousands of fast food workers in 50 U.S. cities walked off the job to protest low wages, the Keystone Research Center is out with a report showing there is ample reason for discontent among Pennsylvania workers.

I Have a Dream ... That President Obama Will Say "The President Wants You to Join a Union"

Posted by Stephen Herzenberg on August 28, 2013 11:09 am
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President Obama will speak from the Lincoln Memorial at 3 p.m. today, the 50th Anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech.

It's 'Invest in Education, Stupid'

Posted by Stephen Herzenberg on August 23, 2013 2:57 pm
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"It's the economy, stupid," Clinton campaign manager James Carville famously said during the 1992 U.S. presidential election campaign.

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