Jobs and Income Maine law will prohibit employers from inquiring about criminal history of applicants “Mainers’ past mistakes should not continue to damage their chances of employment and economic prosperity for the rest of their lives,” James Myall, a policy director at […] The Center Square Posted July 23, 2021 Tags Economic Security, Employment, Job Quality, Jobs
Jobs and Income Maine expands back-to-work bonuses after seeing just 300 applications in 2 weeks Adding the benefit for workers who take part-time jobs could boost participation in the program, said James Myall, an analyst for the liberal Maine Center for Economic […] Bangor Daily News Posted July 1, 2021 Tags Employment, Job Quality, Jobs, Wages
Jobs and Income The tables have turned and it’s a workers’ market “To a certain extent, having a tighter labor market is a good thing,” said James Myall, a policy analyst at the Maine Center for Economic Policy. “Scheduling […] Sun Journal Posted June 27, 2021 Tags Employment, Job Quality, Jobs, Wages
Jobs and Income Maine’s Worker shortage has deep roots As the COVID-19 pandemic recedes in Maine, business-owners have begun to raise a new economic concern as they report difficulty hiring workers to fill vacancies. These concerns […] James Myall Posted June 10, 2021 Tags Coronavirus, Employment, Job Quality, Jobs, Unemployment
Jobs and Income Lawmakers must reject plan to give corporations free pass to put workers and customer at risk The Legislature today is considering a bill — LD 1403, “An Act to Protect Maine Businesses, Nonprofits, Educational Institutions and Municipalities during the COVID-19 Pandemic” — that […] James Myall Posted May 13, 2021 Tags Coronavirus, Health Care, Jobs
Jobs and Income Committee advances Rep. Cuddy bill to protect service employees from wage theft The threshold for being considered a tipped employee has not been significantly increased in over 50 years. While the law currently requires employers to supplement the base […] Penobscot Bay Pilot Posted May 10, 2021 Tags Job Quality, Jobs, Minimum Wage, Wages
Jobs and Income Bill to update definition of “tipped worker” would prevent low-wage trap for service workers Public laws regarding tipped workers are designed to ensure that workers who receive a substantial portion of their income through tips are given the same worker protections […] James Myall Posted May 4, 2021 Tags Job Quality, Jobs, Minimum Wage, Wages
Jobs and Income Anti-retaliation law would guarantee real rights for Maine workers State labor laws are critical to ensuring basic rights and dignity at the workplace. From the minimum wage to paid time off, accommodations for working mothers to laws mandating breaks […] James Myall Posted April 23, 2021 Tags Job Quality, Jobs, Paid Sick Days
Taxes and Budget MECEP statement on 'Back-to-Basics' budget AUGUSTA, MAINE — Garrett Martin, executive director at the Maine Center for Economic Policy, released the following statement about the ‘Back-to-Basics’ budget plan under consideration in the Maine […] Posted March 25, 2021 Tags Budget, Coronavirus, Jobs
Jobs and Income Pine Tree Development Zones promised jobs but didn’t deliver. It’s time to end them. In 2003, the Maine Legislature created Pine Tree Development Zones, a tax expenditure program designed to spur job creation in economically distressed areas of the state. The […] Sarah Austin Posted March 24, 2021 Tags Jobs, Tax Breaks, Taxes