Top 1 Percent of Kentuckians Continue to Capture Bulk of Income Gains in Recovery
Income inequality continues to widen in Kentucky and the nation through the recovery according to a new report released today...
Economic Security
Kentucky Workers Left Behind as Majority of States Lift the Wage Floor
As momentum to increase the minimum wage grows around the country, Kentucky’s $7.25 minimum puts the Commonwealth in the unfortunate minority of states that haven’t boosted workers’ pay above the...
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...
Kentuckians Will Benefit Under the President’s Immigration Action
President Obama’s announcement yesterday that nearly 5 million unauthorized immigrants will be eligible to receive a temporary stay and work permit is good news for Kentucky. By removing the fear...
Kentucky Workers’ Productivity Is Growing But Wages Are Not
A big reason many Kentucky workers' wages are stuck is that they've been left out of the gains from economic growth, which have been going in large part to those...
What the Research Says About Minimum Wage Increases
While Louisville considers whether to increase its minimum wage in the face of federal and state inaction, there’s no question that many thousands of low-wage workers stand to benefit. But...
Student Loan Default Rates Drop Nationally but Not in Kentucky
As described in a WFPL article published today, Kentucky’s federal student loan default rate is now the 4th- highest among the states. Also, while new data shows some improvement in...
Kentucky Should Get Involved In Debate About New College Affordability Strategies
While recent discussion of the student debt crisis has focused largely on federal proposals to make student loan payments easier to manage, several states (not to mention Starbucks) are experimenting...
Lessening Burden of Student Loans One Step of Many Toward Greater College Affordability
There is a lot of focus this week on what can be done to address the student loan debt crisis—with cumulative U. S. student loan debt having reached $1.2 trillion...
State EITC Would Make a Regressive Tax System Fairer
Previous posts have described how a state Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) would help working low-income Kentuckians make ends meet and reach every corner of the state. A state EITC would also make...