Taxes and Budget Maine Senate Republicans backtrack on budget deal, jeopardizing health care and forestry Updated 3/13/2025 At a glance: Maine Senate Republicans agreed on a budget to help health care and forestry — the state has extra funds to cover these […] James Myall Posted March 12, 2025 Tags Budget, Economic Security, Economy, Jobs, Revenue
Maine’s Economy, Taxes and Budget Tariffs — An Explainer Updated March 28, 2025 What are tariffs? Tariffs are taxes on imported goods that, when well-targeted and strategically planned, can be a powerful economic tool. They help […] Karin Leuthy Posted March 11, 2025 Tags Economic Security, Economy, Federal, Jobs, Taxes
Jobs and Income, Taxes and Budget Direct care workers fight for restoration of cost-of-living increases in Maine budget Arthur Phillips, policy analyst for the Maine Center for Economic Policy, a progressive think tank, said that without the COLAs, the average direct care worker will lose […] Sun Journal Posted March 6, 2025 Tags Direct Care Work, Incomes, Job Quality, Jobs
Jobs and Income, Taxes and Budget Maine shouldn't balance the budget on the backs of direct care workers At a glance: Proposed budget cuts would lower direct care labor reimbursements, reducing pay and worsening workforce shortages Low wages for direct care professionals already impose significant […] Arthur Phillips Posted March 5, 2025 Tags Budget, Caregiving, Direct Care Work, Incomes, Inequality, Job Quality, Jobs
Jobs and Income, Taxes and Budget Speaker of Maine House unveils bill to ease health care workforce shortage A June 2024 analysis by the Maine Center for Economic Policy think tank said that Maine needs to hire an additional 2,300 full-time direct care workers — there are […] Portland Press Herald Posted January 13, 2025 Tags Budget, Direct Care Work, Job Quality, Jobs
Taxes and Budget Increasing tobacco tax, AI protections among 2025 Maine health priorities Jess Maurer, executive director of the Maine Council on Aging, and Arthur Phillips, the economic policy analyst with the Maine Center for Economic Policy, both said they […] Maine Morning Star Posted January 2, 2025 Tags Budget, Direct Care Work, Job Quality, Jobs
Jobs and Income Maine’s minimum wage will get a boost Jan. 1 According to the Maine Center for Economic Policy, there are about 37,000 hourly workers in the state earning less than $14.65 hourly and an additional 50,000 employees […] Portland Press Herald Posted December 30, 2024 Tags Job Quality, Jobs, Minimum Wage, Wages
Jobs and Income, Maine’s Economy How Maine can safeguard economic policies to protect consumers and workers In Maine, companies are already prohibited from forcing non-compete agreements for employees earning at or below 400% of the federal poverty level (which in 2024, is around […] Beacon Posted December 19, 2024 Tags Federal, Job Quality, Jobs
Jobs and Income Despite progress, Maine women still earn less and are more likely to live in poverty And more than 23,500 hours of care that Mainers are entitled to goes undelivered every week, though this figure is likely an underestimate when accounting for reporting […] Portland Press Herald Posted December 12, 2024 Tags Incomes, Inequality, Jobs
Jobs and Income Teen entrepreneurs mean business James Myall, an economic policy analyst at the Maine Center for Economic Policy, pointed to the tight labor market and inflationary pressure as the two most likely […] Portland Press Herald Posted November 11, 2024 Tags Inflation, Job Quality, Jobs, Wages