Jobs and Income, Taxes and Budget Maine lawmakers have signed off on worker protections — now they must fund their implementation Through 2023 and 2024, the Maine legislature passed seven bills to improve Mainers’ rights at work — but these bills won’t become law unless the Appropriations and […] James Myall Posted April 12, 2024 Tags Budget, Job Quality, Jobs, Minimum Wage, Wages
Taxes and Budget It’s right to re-examine highway funding in Maine At a glance: Highway fund revenue is projected to be $19 million more than what was budgeted last year Shifting $11 million of extra highway funds to […] James Myall Posted April 11, 2024 Tags Budget, Revenue
Education, Jobs and Income Poor pay and strained working conditions cause staffing shortages in Maine schools At a glance: Maine has a shortage of educators due to wages that are not competitive Maine educators make less on average than peers with similar levels […] James Myall Posted April 8, 2024 Tags Children, Economic Security, Education, Job Quality, Jobs, K-12 Education, Wages
Maine’s Economy People seeking asylum and refuge benefit Maine’s economy — lawmakers need to support them At a glance: People seeking asylum and refuge pay more in taxes than they receive in public assistance over the long term, providing overall benefits to employers […] James Myall Posted March 27, 2024 Tags Economy, Immigration, Racial Equity
Taxes and Budget Legislature shouldn’t give up on fixing highway funding As of 2023, the Maine legislature has chosen to divert just over $100 million annually on an ongoing basis from the state’s general fund by dedicating 40 […] James Myall Posted March 14, 2024 Tags Budget, Revenue, Sales Tax, Tax Fairness, Taxes
Jobs and Income, Maine’s Economy How public policy has and hasn’t increased equity for Black Mainers Black History Month is an opportunity to reflect on the extent to which Maine has seen recent progress on reducing inequalities that impact Black Mainers. Data shows […] James Myall Posted February 27, 2024 Tags Economic Security, Employment, Immigration, Incomes, Inequality, Job Quality, Jobs, Minimum Wage, Poverty, Racial Equity, Unemployment, Wages
Jobs and Income, Taxes and Budget Maine state employees still face significant pay gap Last week, the Maine Department of Administrative and Financial Services released a report outlining the progress the administration has made on closing the pay gap between state […] James Myall Posted February 6, 2024 Tags Budget, Incomes, Job Quality, Unions, Wages
Jobs and Income, Maine’s Economy State of Working Maine 2023: Boosting Maine's Workforce Download the PDF: Full Report Summary Stories The major challenge facing Maine’s economy is the state’s plateauing workforce. In 2003, approximately 3 percent of jobs in Maine […] James Myall Posted November 20, 2023 Tags Affordable Care Act, Budget, Caregiving, Child Care, Children, Economic Security, Economy, Education, Housing, Immigration, Incomes, Inequality, Job Quality, Jobs, Paid Family and Medical Leave, Wages
Maine’s Economy New Census Bureau data shows mixed progress on income, poverty, and health The latest round of the American Community Survey (ACS) released by the US Census Bureau in September offers a snapshot of economic and social conditions in Maine […] James Myall Posted November 1, 2023 Tags Affordable Care Act, Economic Security, Health Care, Incomes, Inflation, Minimum Wage, Poverty, SNAP, Wages
Jobs and Income Maine minimum wage will rise to $14.15 in 2024, boosting wages for 127,000 Mainers Maine’s minimum wage will increase to $14.15 per hour on January 1, 2024, according to recent inflation data released by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). […] James Myall Posted September 28, 2023 Tags Incomes, Job Quality, Minimum Wage, Wages
