Jobs and Income State of Working Maine 2024: Gains and Gaps in a Strong Economy Report PDF Summary pdf view stories State of Working Maine 2024 examines Maine’s economy and how it performs for working Mainers, particularly in the post-COVID era. A […] James Myall Posted October 23, 2024 Tags Caregiving, Child Care, Direct Care Work, Economic Security, Economy, Food Insecurity, Gender, Health Care, Higher Education, Housing, Immigration, Incomes, Inequality, Job Quality, Jobs, Minimum Wage, Poverty, Racial Equity, Unemployment, Wages
Taxes and Budget New budget projections highlight the need to get serious about raising revenue Update: Read MECEP’s November 25, 2024 statement on the revised revenue forecast. At a glance: Projected budget shortfalls are nothing new Ultimately lawmakers must work with the […] James Myall Posted October 7, 2024 Tags Budget, Direct Care Work, Education, Health Care, K-12 Education, Medicaid, Revenue
Health Care, Jobs and Income, Maine’s Economy Census data shows most Mainers ahead compared to pre-pandemic — but poorest still struggling At a glance: Between 2019 and 2023, Maine’s median household income rose 5% to nearly $74,000, while the bottom 20% saw a 1% drop to just over […] James Myall Posted September 17, 2024 Tags Economic Security, Health Care, Incomes, Minimum Wage, Poverty, Wages
Jobs and Income Maine’s minimum wage to increase to $14.65 next year, boosting wages for 96,000 workers New data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics shows Maine’s minimum wage will increase by 50 cents per hour in 2025 to keep pace with increased […] James Myall Posted September 11, 2024 Tags Incomes, Job Quality, Minimum Wage, Wages
Jobs and Income, Taxes and Budget 3 reasons why “no tax on tips” isn’t all it’s cracked up to be Both Vice President Harris and former President Trump have recently endorsed the idea of exempting tipped income from federal income taxes. The effort also has a vehicle […] James Myall Posted August 30, 2024 Tags Income Tax, Incomes, Job Quality, Jobs, Tax Breaks, Tax Fairness, Taxes, Wages
Maine’s Economy, Taxes and Budget Undocumented immigrants contribute millions in taxes to Maine A new report from the Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) confirms undocumented immigrants contribute to the strength of our economy and the health of public […] James Myall Posted July 31, 2024 Tags Federal, Immigration, Revenue, Taxes
Maine’s Economy 5 reasons to be optimistic about Maine’s economy At a glance: Despite consensus that the economy is in bad shape, Americans are broadly optimistic about their own financial circumstances Economic data mirrors this sentiment: unemployment […] James Myall Posted July 30, 2024 Tags Economic Security, Economy, Incomes, Inequality, Job Quality, Jobs, Wages
Jobs and Income New federal overtime rule will protect an extra 26,000 salaried Maine workers At a glance: The federal department of labor is raising the threshold for low-paid salaried workers to be eligible for overtime pay, nearly doubling the number of […] James Myall Posted July 3, 2024 Tags Incomes, Job Quality, Jobs, Overtime, Wages
Taxes and Budget Unfunded bills are unfinished work The legislature has passed a supplemental budget, but its work for this year remains far from done. Both legislative chambers have approved dozens of bills and they […] James Myall Posted April 24, 2024 Tags Child Care, Direct Care Work, Education, Health Care, Higher Education, Job Quality, Minimum Wage, Overtime, Racial Equity, Wages
Taxes and Budget What’s in the $430 million supplemental budget On Monday, Governor Janet Mills signed into law a $430 million supplemental budget passed by the legislature that includes significant investments in pressing needs for Mainers, particularly […] James Myall Posted April 24, 2024 Tags Budget, Education, Housing, Medicare, Revenue, Seniors, SNAP, Wages
