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High court decision a setback for older workers, U. of I. law professor says
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – A potential legal hurdle for corporations seeking to cut costs through mandatory or voluntary layoffs was lifted when the U.S. Supreme Court gave its latest interpretation of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). At issue in Smith v. City of Jackson, a case decided last year, was whether age discrimination took […]
Activist shareholders’ impact on corporate America
David Ikenberry is a professor of finance and the chair of the finance department in the College of Business. His research has focused on issues relating to stock-market returns as well as the informational efficiency of markets and the reasons why companies buy back their own stock. The growing influence of “activist stockholders” in corporate […]
Social Security still imperiled, says scholar who promoted Bush plan
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – While the Bush administration’s efforts to change Social Security have faltered, the ticking time bomb of a revenue shortfall has not gone away, a University of Illinois expert warns. Jeffrey R. Brown, a professor of finance in the College of Business who was active in crafting and promoting the administration’s Social Security […]
U. of I. economic index fell in February, but economy still growing
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The U of I Flash Index fell in February to 106.6 from its 107.1 reading in January. “Despite the decline, the result for February still indicates that the Illinois economy is growing at a good clip,” said J. Fred Giertz, the U. of I. economist who compiles the monthly index. “Last month’s […]
U.S. must clarify workers’ responsibilities in national emergencies
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – How far can the government go in forcing civilians to perform potentially life-threatening jobs during a national emergency? The legal questions regarding compulsory work during a man-made or natural catastrophe have not been settled, Michael H. LeRoy, a professor at the University of Illinois Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations and College […]
Track record of anti-poverty ‘Enterprise Zones’ is mixed
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Since Ronald Reagan’s presidency in the 1980s, attempts to alleviate poverty have shifted away from urban renewal and centralized government planning to so-called “market-based solutions.” These efforts include Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities, programs that seek to lift families out of poverty through market expansion. As part of these programs, tax credits […]
U. of I. Flash Economic Index now at highest level in eight years
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The University of Illinois Flash Index surged ahead in January, rising to 107.1 from its 106.6 reading in December. This marks a post-2001 recession high for the index, exceeding the 106.9 level achieved in July, September and August of 2005. In fact, the index stands at the highest level in eight years […]
How would a gross receipts tax affect Illinois consumers?
J. Fred Giertz has been on the faculty of the Institute of Government and Public Affairs and a University of Illinois professor of economics since 1980. His major research interests are public finance and regional economic development. He specializes in state and local taxation and follows the Illinois economy closely as the monthly analyst of […]
Flash Index of Illinois economy up slightly in December, latest data show
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The University of Illinois Flash Economic Index rose slightly in December to 106.6 from its 106.4 level in November. The Index has remained in a tight range (from 106.4 to 106.9) since last June, which indicates that the state economy is growing at a moderate to strong rate, J. Fred Giertz, the […]
Parental liability laws misguided and simplistic, legal scholar says
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Durwood Pickle was shocked to find that the Recording Industry Association of America had sued him because his grandchildren had used his computer to illegally download music during visits to his Texas home. Increasingly, parents – or in Pickle’s case, a grandparent – are being held responsible for the misdeeds of their […]
Illinois economic index down slightly, but still expanding, expert says
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The University of Illinois Flash Economic Index fell slightly in its rate of growth in November, to 106.4, from its 106.9 level in October. Because the Index remains well above 100, the break-even point between growth and contraction, the state economy continues to expand at a robust rate. The Index has been […]
State vs. federal rules at issue in regulation of HMOs
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The rise of managed health care has brought into focus a clash between federal and state jurisdiction over the regulation of health maintenance organizations, legal scholars at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign conclude. The dispute centers on two provisions of the 1974 Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), which regulates health […]