Maine’s Economy The evidence is clear: There's no reason to cut Maine's minimum wage Efforts to weaken Maine’s minimum wage are perennial objects of consideration in the Maine Legislature. Most often, lawmakers rejects these efforts out of hand — and for […] James Myall Posted March 18, 2019 Tags Minimum Wage
Jobs and Income GOP amendment would undermine benefits of earned paid sick days Maine's workers and economy A proposal to expand access to earn paid sick days would be watered down significantly if Republican lawmakers get their way. The original plan, LD 369, presented […] James Myall Posted March 12, 2019 Tags Job Quality, Paid Sick Days
Jobs and Income Maine bill to fix overtime will restore the promise of extra pay for extra work When Mainers work extra hours, they deserve extra pay. The 40-hour workweek has been a pillar of the American economy for decades. It’s still what most of […] James Myall Posted March 12, 2019 Tags Job Quality, Overtime
Health Care, Maine’s Economy Earned paid sick days: Good for family budgets, public health and the economy Maine’s Legislature is currently considering a bill, LD 369, that would ensure all Mainers who work at a company with five or more employees could earn paid […] James Myall Posted February 13, 2019 Tags Economy, Health Care, Paid Sick Days
Jobs and Income, Maine’s Economy State of Working Maine 2018 Contents Editor’s note: State of Working Maine 2018 contains extensive endnotes and citations not reflected in this online version of the report. To see the complete report […] James Myall Posted November 19, 2018 Tags Economic Security, Economy, Education, Employment, Job Quality, Jobs, Wages
Jobs and Income MECEP Policy Brief: Minimum wage increase brought higher wages, reduced child poverty in 2017 Summary: Maine’s voter-approved minimum wage increase in 2017 led to the fastest wage increase in a decade for low-income Mainers and helped lift 10,000 Maine children out […] James Myall Posted September 24, 2018 Tags Children, Economic Security, Minimum Wage
Education, Taxes and Budget Maine teachers spend millions of their own dollars on classroom basics Maine’s teachers spent at least $4.2 million out of their own pockets on basic school supplies in 2016, the most recent year for which we have data, […] James Myall Posted September 13, 2018 Tags Education, Taxes, Wages
Maine’s Economy Could you cover an unexpected $400 expense? Nearly half of Mainers could not A modest unexpected expense could overturn the finances of nearly half of all Mainers, and one in five Maine residents cannot pay all their bills on time. […] James Myall Posted June 26, 2018 Tags Economic Security
Jobs and Income, Maine’s Economy In some Maine counties, federal food assistance pays for one in six grocery sales New analysis by MECEP demonstrates just how crucial the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, is for hundreds of thousands of Mainers, for local economies and for […] James Myall Posted May 3, 2018 Tags Economic Security, Food Insecurity, SNAP
Jobs and Income, Maine’s Economy Despite Poliquin's praise, Maine is no model for food insecurity As Congress move toward sweeping changes to SNAP, the federal food assistance program, U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin is touting Maine’s experiment in stricter eligibility as a model […] James Myall Posted April 19, 2018 Tags Economic Security, Food Insecurity, SNAP