Oregon's Labor Commissioner Will Testify In Congress To Raise Federal Minimum...
Oregon’s Labor Commissioner has been invited to testify before a congressional committee Thursday in support of raising the federal minimum wage. Oregon’s model could work for the rest of the...
View ArticleBottom Rung: Two Idaho Workers Talk About Life On Low Wages
Wages are lower in Idaho than in nearly ever other state. That’s often chalked up to Idaho’s rural nature and low cost of living. But recently, the state has lost ground.
View ArticleBottom Rung: Why An Influx Of Retirees To Idaho Is Creating More Low-Wage Jobs
There’s a brand new pizza joint in southeast Boise. It’s nestled in a mini-strip mall with a gas station, dry cleaner and hair salon.On a recent Friday evening, Franco’s Pizzeria was just starting to...
View ArticleBottom Rung: The Workforce Shift That’s Costing Idaho Good-Paying Jobs
Not long ago, you could hear the buzz of power saws all over the Treasure Valley. It was punctuated by the steady rhythm of hammers and nail guns. More than 10,000 homes went up in Ada and Canyon...
View ArticleBottom Rung: Why Building A Strong Idaho Economy Takes Public Investment
Bob Lokken, CEO of Boise-based WhiteCloud Analytics, is three years into building his new company. It designs software for health care professionals with the aim of allowing doctors and others to...
View ArticleBottom Rung: Why One Idaho Border Business Chose Washington
The border between Washington and Idaho is like a petri dish for what the minimum wage does to the economy. That’s where two extremes meet. Idaho has the federal minimum wage: $7.25 an hour. While...
View ArticleBottom Rung: The Politics Of Increasing Idaho’s Minimum Wage
As in many states, Idaho’s minimum wage hasn’t changed since 2009, when the hourly minimum was boosted by the federal government.The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found 31,000 hourly Idaho workers...
View ArticleBottom Rung: Longtime Idaho Economist Stresses Education And Healthcare To...
Idaho has the largest percentage of minimum wage jobs in the country. That’s been the jumping off point for StateImpact Idaho’s series examining wages; we’re calling it Bottom Rung.
View ArticleIt’s More Expensive To ‘Get By’ In Rural Idaho Than Boise
It costs more to get by in rural Idaho than it does in Boise, the state's population center. That's according to the Economic Policy Institute's family budget calculator.A family of four living in...
View ArticleSon Of Former McDonald's Worker, Raul Labrador Opposes Minimum Wage Increase
Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho, said Monday he's against raising the nation’s minimum wage. During a conference call with reporters, Labrador said he understands why those pushing for pay increases for...
View Article3 Of Idaho’s Neighbors To Raise Minimum Wage, Idaho Stays The Same
The minimum wage goes up Wednesday in 13 states. Idaho isn’t one of them, but some of its neighbors are.Washington and Oregon already have the first and second highest minimum wages in the country at...
View ArticleWashington House Democrats Propose $12 Minimum Wage
Washington’s minimum wage would rise to $12 per hour by 2017 under a proposal from Democrats in the state House.
View ArticleIdaho Democrats To Pitch Plan Raising Idaho's Minimum Wage
A Democratic lawmaker will ask her fellow legislators to sign off on a plan to raise Idaho's minimum wage.But majority Republicans have largely rejected efforts to hike the minimum wage, even as...
View ArticleIdaho Legislative Panel To Hear Minimum Wage Increase Proposal
A plan to put more money in the pockets of Idaho's lowest-paid workers cleared its first hurdle Monday when the Senate State Affairs Committee voted to send it forward to a full hearing.The proposal...
View ArticleWhy Are Democrats Suddenly Talking About Minimum Wage?
It's No Accident Democrats Are Suddenly Talking About Minimum WageWe’re hearing a lot these days about raising the minimum wage.President Obama talked about it in his State of the Union address last...
View ArticleCBO: Minimum Wage Hike Could Boost Paychecks – And Cut Jobs
Whatever you already believed about raising the federal minimum wage, you now have more ammo for your argument, thanks to a report released Tuesday by the Congressional Budget Office, titled "The...
View ArticleIdaho's Share Of Minimum Wage Workers Declines, Now 2nd Highest In U.S.
Idaho’s share of minimum wage workers declined 0.6 percent from 2012 to 2013 according to data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The drop means Idaho no longer has the largest share of...
View ArticleReport: It Takes A 73 Hour Work Week To Pay Rent On Idaho's Minimum Wage
An Idaho worker earning the minimum wage would need to work 73 hours per week in order to afford a modest two-bedroom rental according to a report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
View ArticleIdaho Voters Won't Weigh In On Minimum Wage Increase Or Medical Marijuana
Idaho voters won’t be making any new laws when they go to the polls in November. Efforts to get two initiatives on the ballot failed to get enough signatures by Wednesday’s deadline.The people who...
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