Jobs and Income, Maine’s Economy Maine minimum wage hits $15.10 in January, boosting pay for 100,000 workers As prices of everyday essentials like food, housing, and health care climb, the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to the minimum wage is one of our state’s most […] Arthur Phillips Posted September 15, 2025 Tags Economic Security, Economy, Employment, Farmworkers, Jobs, Minimum Wage, Wages
Jobs and Income Opinion: Hey Portland! It’s past time for a $20 an hour minimum wage The Maine Center for Economic Policy, a leading nonpartisan think tank dedicated to improving the economic well-being of Mainers with low and moderate incomes, opposes Ali’s amendment for three […] Beacon Posted August 21, 2025 Tags Economic Security, Local, Minimum Wage, Wages
Health Care, Jobs and Income, Maine’s Economy, Taxes and Budget Legislative Rundown: First regular session of the 132nd Co-authored by James Myall, Arthur Phillips & Maura Pillsbury In the first half of 2025, MECEP presented 110 pieces of testimony before the Maine Legislature that affect […] MECEP Posted July 30, 2025 Tags Appropriations Committee, Budget, Caregiving, Child Care, Consumer Protection, Corporate Power, Direct Care Work, Economic Security, Farmworkers, Health Care, Housing, Immigration, Income Tax, Incomes, Inequality, Job Quality, Jobs, Minimum Wage, Revenue, Tax Breaks, Tax Fairness, Taxes
Maine’s Economy Progress for farmworkers — but full justice still denied Last week, Maine took a historic step forward by extending the state’s minimum wage to include farmworkers. For too long, the people who grow and harvest the […] Arthur Phillips Posted June 19, 2025 Tags Economic Security, Job Quality, Jobs, Minimum Wage
Jobs and Income Portland could raise minimum wage to $20 an hour A study from the Maine Center for Economic Policy indicates that while the increase would benefit workers across all industries, those in low-wage sectors would experience the […] Fox 23 Posted May 20, 2025 Tags Incomes, Job Quality, Jobs, Minimum Wage
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 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
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 Maine’s minimum wage will increase to $14.65 next year That wage hike will affect about 1 in 6 Maine workers, which James Myall, an analyst at the Maine Center for Economic Policy, called it “one of […] Bangor Daily News Posted September 11, 2024 Tags Minimum Wage, Wages
