Maine’s Economy Maine’s unequal pandemic recession and recovery Maine’s economy is making a slow but steady recovery from the depths of the downturn spurred by the arrival of the coronavirus and COVID-19. But like the […] James Myall Posted October 20, 2020 Tags Coronavirus, Jobs, Racial Equity
Jobs and Income New federal rules give shady lenders green light to scam Mainers Payday lenders are exploiting loopholes to evade Maine’s consumer protection laws. Their shadowy practices are leaving Mainers in the lurch. Now, the Trump administration is floating a rule change that would let predatory corporations fleece […] Jody Harris Posted October 2, 2020 Tags Consumer Protection, Federal
Taxes and Budget REPORT: Solving Maine’s Pandemic Revenue Crisis States that responded to the Great Recession by maintaining or increasing state jobs and spending outperformed states, such as Maine, that responded with layoffs and spending cuts. […] Sarah Austin Posted September 28, 2020 Tags Budget, Coronavirus, Revenue, Taxes
Maine’s Economy New Census data highlights cracks in the economy – even before COVID New data released Thursday by the US Census Bureau show that many Mainers were already experiencing hardship before the COVID-19 pandemic and revealed the tenuous nature of the economic gains the state enjoyed in […] James Myall Posted September 18, 2020 Tags Coronavirus, Economic Security, Economy, Food Insecurity, Health Care, Poverty, Unemployment
Jobs and Income Despite modest recovery, pandemic hardship lingers for tens of thousands of Mainers Tens of thousands of Maine households are still struggling to afford basic needs such as groceries and rent, according to the latest data from the US Census […] James Myall Posted September 16, 2020 Tags Coronavirus, Federal, Incomes, Unemployment
Taxes and Budget RESEARCH REVIEW: State tax and budget cuts don’t boost economic activity and can cause harm Supporters of tax cuts often claim they will directly boost economic activity. A large body of research refutes this argument. In a comprehensive review of four decades […] MECEP Posted August 18, 2020 Tags Budget, Economy, Recession, Revenue, Taxes
Maine’s Economy Trump’s executive actions don’t let Senate Republicans off the hook The recent executive actions by President Donald Trump offer only a false sense of relief to the tens of thousands of Mainers who have seen their incomes […] James Myall Posted August 11, 2020 Tags Coronavirus, Federal, Unemployment
Jobs and Income Data reveals return to work not affected by $600 unemployment boost There’s no relationship between expanded Unemployment Compensation payments and individuals’ likelihood of returning to work, according to two recent studies. One, by researchers at Yale University, finds that more generous UC payments are not […] James Myall Posted July 31, 2020 Tags Coronavirus, Federal, Unemployment
Taxes and Budget Forecasted 3-year, $1.4 billion revenue shortfall reinforces need federal, state action to protect critical jobs and services New revenue projections released by state officials on Wednesday reiterate that Maine faces jaw-dropping revenue shortfalls that demand a strong federal response and a willingness by state […] Sarah Austin Posted July 29, 2020 Tags Budget, Coronavirus
Jobs and Income, Maine’s Economy REPORT: Cuts to Pandemic Unemployment Compensation would harm 182,000 Mainers The COVID-19 relief plan released by US Senate Republicans on July 27 would slash Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) by $400 per week, affecting approximately 182,000 Mainers […] James Myall Posted July 28, 2020 Tags Coronavirus, Incomes, Unemployment