News and perspective on public policy issues affecting Washington's economy and quality of life, brought to you by the Economic Opportunity Institute.
These two graphs go a long way toward explaining why the U.S. economy is still in the doldrums. 1) Wages, as a share of economic activity (GDP) have never been lower: 2) While corporate profits (as a share of GDP) have never been higher: High profits are sweet nectar, but when workers are paid too […]
Curious, isn’t it, how the same folks who oppose government income support (i.e., welfare) also can’t stomach a wage standard that ensures people can earn a decent living for a day’s work? Fortunately, there are some real-life examples of businesses out there proving the point that paying workers well is good for everyone’s bottom line. One […]
Many American voters seem ready to run our country as if it were a business. Some businesses take a long-range growth perspective, and honor all their stakeholders. A country run that way would be OK. However, other businesses believe their markets are “unattractive,” to use the business school expression. If your business is in an […]
Washington state grabbed headlines this year with a minimum wage of $9.04/hour, thanks to a voter-approved automatic cost-of-living adjustment enacted in 1998. In 32 other states, the federal minimum – just $7.25/hour – applies.* But if it were adjusted for inflation using the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the federal minimum would be $9.16 today. For […]
