IndyStar: “many [Hoosiers] were unwilling to go back to low-paying and stressful jobs with bad hours and no flexibility”
Report: Indiana lost more ‘good’ jobs than it gained, study says
INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Democratic Party, the organization that advocates for the future of Indiana and its families, today criticized the Indiana Republican Party for creating a state economy that’s failing to deliver for Hoosier workers when they need it most. Multiple reports from the last week continued to highlight how Hoosier families are struggling to make ends meet during COVID-19 and why Governor Holcomb and the Republican Party’s “work more for less” economy did not live up to its “A State that Works!” mantra. In fact, Hoosiers work overtime to afford essential goods, and it’s tied to the Republicans’ extreme partisanship and record of losing “good jobs” across Indiana.
Since 2012, Indiana’s so-called “right to work” laws have plunged wages for its workers. According to the Economic Policy Institute, about 30-percent of Indiana workers make minimum wage or low-wage jobs. This means more than 892,000 Hoosiers earn less than $15.00 an hour, forcing many families to clock in at least 80 hours a week just to afford basic rent. Hoosier families have seen diminished opportunity under the Indiana Republican Party, and this partisanship has led to the state’s workforce being handed an “F” grade from CNBC’s “Top States for Doing Business” report.
Indiana Democrats have a solution to fix this problem for Hoosiers, and it’s through President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better agenda. Under Biden’s American Jobs Plan, its once-in-a-generation investments in infrastructure will create good-paying jobs and dismantle the state’s “right to work” laws via the Protect the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. These good-paying jobs will deliver broadband internet access, repairs to roads and bridges, and revitalized public transportation systems around the state. Democrats are ready to deliver for Hoosiers and fix the mess the INGOP created.
Here’s a look at some of last week’s coverage:
IndyStar: It’s a complicated issue. Here is why experts say Indiana has so many unfilled jobs
“Many other states also cut the federal benefits early in hopes of driving people back to work. But economists warned that the move may be futile because they don’t think those benefits were the driving force behind the work shortage.” […]
“But the story is more complicated. The reasons range from fear of COVID-19, child care needs at home, mismatch of skills between the worker and the job, changing career interests and early retirement.” […]
“As a result, many were unwilling to go back to low-paying and stressful jobs with bad hours and no flexibility…” […]
Fox59: Hoosier economists explain reasons behind labor shortage
Indiana Public Media: Shortage Of Workers Taking A Toll On The Restaurant Industry
“But the biggest issue is low wages and lack of benefits such as insurance and paid sick days.
The federal minimum wage has been $7.25 an hour since 2009, and while some states have raised it, Indiana’s minimum wage remains the same as the fed. For servers, the minimum wage is $2.13 an hour plus tips.” […]
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