The economic boom of the 1990s is rightly noted for lifting the wages of the vast
majority of Illinois workers. But for all its force, the boom failed to reverse the long-term
decline in the spending power of low-income households, particularly those reliant on
minimum and near-minimum wage earners. Although the nominal value of the federal
minimum wage is at an all-time high of $5.15 per hour, failure to adjust it for inflation
has led real hourly wages of minimum and near-minimum wage workers to erode to a
level near their all- time low.
Joe Persky
Raising and Maintaining the Value of the State Minimum Wage: An Economic Impact Study of Illinois
A Step In the Right Direction: An Analysis of Forecasted Costs and Benefits of the Chicago Living Wage Ordinance
On January 1, 1999, the “Chicago Living Wage Ordinance” (CLWO) went into effect, mandating a “living wage” minimum of $7.60/hour for certain categories of workers of contractors or subcontractors of the city of Chicago. The CLWO, like similar “living wage” laws enacted in over 70 localities around the country, attempts to address two major problems: rising economic inequality and the inadequacy of low-wage jobs for working families.
A Self-Sufficiency Living Wage for Chicago
The City of Chicago and State of Illinois have officially endorsed and are using a set of “self- sufficiency standards” for basic family needs by family type that have been developed by Pearson and Brooks (2001) for various localities in Illinois. In this report, Chicago “living wage” and in turn, a family “self sufficiency standard” is derived for a four-person, two-child families in lower-cost areas of Chicago.
An Assessment of the Walmart Store Proposed for Chicago's West Side
The prospect of the opening of a new Wal-Mart store on the west side of Chicago has raised concerns about its potential impact on existing retailers. While Wal-Mart and its advocates suggest that the store will have a positive impact by adding jobs and income to the local economy, a more careful analysis is necessary to understand the net benefits associated with the proposed development. This study assesses the likely impact of a new Wal-Mart store on other local retailers and the resulting employment and tax revenue impacts on the City of Chicago and its residents.