Missing Workers Problem Dampens Drop in Unemployment Rate
Kentucky’s economy has garnered headlines for the decline in the state’s unemployment rate, which fell sharply from 7.9 percent in...
Wealthiest Kentuckians Have Lowest Overall State and Local Tax Rate
A new study released today by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) and the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy (KCEP) finds that low-income Kentuckians pay 49 percent more...
Who Stands to Benefit from Louisville’s New Minimum Wage
An estimated 45,000 workers in Louisville/Jefferson County who would otherwise make less than $9 an hour will have higher wages once the new metro government minimum wage ordinance—the first such...
Low Road Economy No Path to Prosperity in Kentucky
The effort to pass a so-called right-to-work law in Kentucky has now moved to the local level with the first such ordinance passed in Warren County. While the proponents of...
Growing Trade Deficit with China has Cost 41,100 Kentucky Jobs Since 2001
Growth in the U.S. goods trade deficit with China between 2001 and 2013 eliminated or displaced 41,100 jobs in Kentucky, according to “China Trade, Outsourcing and Jobs,” a new study...
Mesa’s Public Subsidies
Nowhere in his recent op-ed in opposition to a local minimum wage did Ted Longacre, CEO of Mesa Foods, mention that his company has received substantial public subsidies that the...
Despite Exemptions, Kentucky’s Sales Tax is Still Regressive
Some proponents of a local option sales tax are making the claim that the regressive nature of the sales tax is taken care of in Kentucky because the state exempts groceries...
Some Manufacturing Jobs Growing in Kentucky, but Not at Wages of Before
The recession hit Kentucky manufacturing jobs hard, with the state losing 48,800 or nearly 20 percent of its manufacturing employment between December 2007 and February 2010. In the last four...
Refinancing KTRS Debt a Sensible Step Toward Addressing Budget Challenge
Because of the recession and subsequent shortfalls in the state’s annual contributions to the Kentucky Teachers’ Retirement System (KTRS), the system’s liability is growing and the problem is becoming more...
Is Another Budget Shortfall in the Works?
One-third of the way through the budget calendar, the state is on track for a revenue shortfall if growth doesn't pick up for the remainder of the year. According to a...