Jobs and Income Portland voters to decide on $15 minimum wage, plus hazard pay An estimated 23,500 Portland workers would see a pay increase under the ordinance, including 14,000 workers currently making less than $15 an hour plus another 9,000 who […] Portland Press Herald Posted October 14, 2020 Tags Coronavirus, Minimum Wage, Wages
Jobs and Income Data: 257,000 Mainers Having Trouble Paying Household Expenses A new analysis of census data by the national Center for Budget and Policy Priorities and Maine Center for Economic Policy finds that about 257,000 Maine adults […] Maine Public Posted October 8, 2020 Tags Coronavirus, Federal, Incomes, Unemployment
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
Jobs and Income Mills’ work search requirement adds additional burden for unemployed Mainers, advocates say James Myall, policy analyst at Maine Center for Economic Policy, agreed that the order could make many feel they have to return to work. “The concern is […] Beacon Posted September 24, 2020 Tags Coronavirus, Unemployment
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 Proposal to close state's $538M revenue shortfall includes call for more federal support Garrett Martin, executive director of the Maine Center for Economic Policy, said that the proposal “is a good attempt to bridge the revenue gap in the current […] MaineBiz Posted September 11, 2020 Tags Budget, Coronavirus, Federal, Recession, Revenue
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
Taxes and Budget Maine leaders urge Congress to end gridlock on COVID-19 relief package Democratic leaders and White House officials met Friday for the 10th time in 12 days, but those talks broke down again as the two sides remained hundreds of billions […] Portland Press Herald Posted August 7, 2020 Tags Coronavirus, Federal, Recession, Unemployment
Maine’s Economy Co-Chairs of Legislature's budget, labor committees join laid-off workers in call for Congress to pass real COVID-19 relief Inaction by US Senate is increasing hardship for Mainers and threatens deeper, longer recession AUGUSTA, Maine — Mainers facing continued record-breaking unemployment and an unprecedented state revenue crisis […] Posted August 7, 2020 Tags Budget, Coronavirus, Federal, Unemployment