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Paper: Young workers hit hardest by slow hiring during recessions
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The saying “Youth is wasted on the young” may ring hollow to young workers who were unable to find work or begin building a career during the Great Recession. When hiring slows during recessions, the brunt of job losses is borne by job-seekers in their twenties and early thirties, according to a […]
Will regulating e-cigarettes be good for public health?
After an extensive set of federal rules was issued by the Food and Drug Administration, the $3 billion e-cigarette industry will now be subject to virtually the same regulations as tobacco cigarettes. While many public health advocates fret that e-cigarettes could serve as a gateway for a new generation of smokers, others fear that the […]
‘Mobilization fatigue’ leads to diminishing returns for labor-backed voter turnout drives
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Between now and the presidential election in November, political pundits of all stripes will be trumpeting the importance of voter turnout for both political parties. But according to a new paper from a University of Illinois labor expert who studies unions and politics, repeated voter contact across multiple election cycles can yield […]
U of I Flash Index drops to lowest level since December 2012
URBANA, Ill. – The University of Illinois Flash Index, which tracks economic activity in the state, fell for the second consecutive month in April, dropping to its lowest level since December 2012. The April index of 104.7 is a decline of four-tenths of a point from March, and represents a fall of nearly one full […]
Flash Index down in March as Illinois economy lags behind rest of nation
URBANA, Ill. – The U. of I. Flash Index declined in March to 105.1 from its 105.6 level in February. The current reading is the lowest in three years. (March 2013 was 104.7, see archive). While the Illinois economy is still growing, as 100 is the dividing line between growth and decline, the state still […]
Spending on public higher education overlooks net benefits as investment in state’s future
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — In spite of the overwhelming evidence of a skills deficit, a depressed middle class and growing inequality, the state of Illinois continues to underinvest in public higher education. But considering higher education funding as an investment that lowers state welfare and prison costs, generates tax revenues and leads to economic growth in […]
U. of I. Flash Index moves up in February as Illinois economy continues modest growth rate
URBANA, Ill. – Illinois’ economy continues to grow at a modest rate despite a slight uptick in the unemployment rate, according to the University of Illinois Flash Index. The index rose to 105.6 in February, up three-tenths of a point from the previous month, and well above the 100 level that marks the division between […]
Why not have one national primary election for presidential nominees?
Mattias Polborn is an economics professor at the University of Illinois who co-wrote a paper that studied the trade-offs between voter coordination and candidate quality under different primary election systems. As the race to determine the 2016 Democratic and Republican presidential nominees lurches toward Super Tuesday on March 1, Polborn, also a professor of political […]
Paper: Homeownership a ‘dream deferred’ for millennial generation
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — For previous generations of Americans, homeownership was seen as one of the final rites of passage into adulthood and financial independence. Despite the Great Recession and the subsequent housing crash, more than 85 percent of the millennial generation – that is, those born between 1980-2000 – still believe that owning a home […]
Beyond the big ads: teaching kids ad literacy and nutrition in grade school classrooms
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Super Bowl will feature car ads, beer ads, food ads – but probably none for carrots. Most food ads, game time or anytime, are pitching less-healthy fare. Kids are often the target. Do they understand what an ad is? Who made it and why? It’s basic “advertising literacy,” and yet it’s […]
Illinois’ economic slowdown is consistent with national trend
The U. of I. Flash Index fell again in January to 105.3 from its 105.5 level in December. As was the case last month, this is the lowest reading since March 2013 (104.7). This is consistent with data indicating a national economic slowdown. National gross domestic product grew at a slow 0.7 percent rate in the fourth […]
Good boss? Bad boss? Study says workers leave both
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — When fast-rising employees quit their jobs for better pay or more responsibility at another organization, the knee-jerk reaction may be to blame their leaving on a bad boss. Although the common perception is that workers join companies but leave managers, new research by a University of Illinois business professor shows that workers […]