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January 30, 2012.
Raising
New York's minimum wage will boost the state economy. The change would
directly benefit
about one in six of New York workers - that is,
1.6 million low-wage workers - and their families. Most (90 percent) of these
low-wage workers are adults and a greater share are women, black or Hispanic
than for New York workers overall. The minimum wage in New York is low by
historical standards - at one time it could keep a family of three out of
poverty - and in comparison to other states. Moreover, the increased purchasing
power of low-wage workers will pump much-needed demand into local businesses and
communities and will create roughly 25,000 new jobs in New York State over three
years.
Release >>
Report >>
November 29, 2011. Great
Recession takes a $31 billion toll on New Yorkers. New data show that New
York families face smaller incomes, fewer opportunities, more hardship. The
Fiscal Policy Institute's 2011 annual
edition of the State of Working New York
examines how bad the Great Recession and the not-so-great "recovery" have been
for the wages and incomes of typical New Yorkers.
Of the 504,000 jobs lost, 80 percent are wage and salary positions, and
about 20 percent represent fledgling businesses that haven’t been started
because of the difficult economic climate. Median household incomes in New York
State fell by 3.2 percent from 2007 to 2010, and weekly earnings have fallen for
New York workers in the bottom half of the pay spectrum. Press release and report >>
October 27, 2011. New Americans on
Long Island: A Vital Sixth of the Economy. Immigrants - documented and
undocumented combined - make up 16 percent of the population of Long Island, and
account for 17 percent of total economic output. This report presents data on
jobs, earnings, family income, taxes, and home ownership. Immigrants'
economic role is examined town by town and in a national context as well. Among
the 50 most affluent suburban counties in the country, Nassau and Suffolk are
neither at the top nor the bottom of any of several measures of immigration.
Driving immigrants away from Long Island would exact a high price to the
social fabric and to the local economy. Press release
and report >>
October 11, 2011.
New group calls for
boosting New York mass transit manufacturing: enhanced MTA investments could
create good jobs and bolster New York's recovery. While unemployment news
remains bleak across the state and country, a recently released white paper,
Building
New York's Future: Creating Jobs and Business Opportunities Through Mass Transit
Investments points to
the benefits of a broad transit manufacturing strategy. A new group - Building
New York's Future - has formed with the mission of developing and implementing a
mass-transit related economic development strategy, building political
commitment to the strategy across the state, and promoting adequate funding for
the MTA and all of New York State's transit authorities.
Press release >>
White
paper >>
October 5, 2011.
Bloomberg
Administration Releases Flawed Living Wage Study.
Working together, the
National Employment Law Project, FPI, and Good Jobs New York find that the
study released today ignores basic flaws
flagged months ago, flaws in both factual assumptions and research
methodologies. And, the study's relevance is questionable, since it fails to
account for changes to the living wage proposal announced this month, which
clarify that the proposal will not cover the most of the project types
comprising the bulk of the study. The study - believed to be the most expensive
taxpayer-funded wage study in U.S. history - is a lost opportunity and poor use
of city resources.
Press release >>
Initial
assessment, May 12 >>
October 3, 2011. Immigrant Small
Businesses in New York City. New numbers from FPI's Immigration Research
Institute show that immigrants make up almost half of all small business owners
in New York City. And, immigrants in the labor force are somewhat more likely
than U.S.-born workers to own small businesses. Immigrant small business owners
are an extremely diverse group, with no single country of origin dominating; in
fact, the top ten groups together still make up just 45 percent of the total
number of immigrant small business owners. The businesses immigrants own range
across all sectors of the economy. Press release and
report >>
August 31, 2011.
One in seven New Yorkers out of work two years
into "recovery." FPI's 2011 annual edition of the
State of Working New York
documents New York's continuing unemployment crisis in the context of the
weak national economic recovery.
Two years into the "recovery" from the Great Recession of 2008-2009, one in
seven New York
workers
is unemployed, under-employed or has given up looking for work - a total of
1.4 million New Yorkers.
Long-term unemployment is at record levels. Half of the unemployed have
been out of work for more than six months, and 29 percent have been jobless for
a year or more. Press release and report >>
July 20, 2011.
Scant recovery for
workers in NYC: Young workers see gains, but unemployment worsens for older
workers. This report, the latest on "The State of Working NYC," finds
several crosscurrents in the first year after the job market bottomed out in
NYC. Young workers (ages 16-21 and 22-27) gained in the recovery, contrary to
the national trend of decreasing employment rates for these age groups.
Unfortunately, older workers too bucked the trend: nationally they made small
gains, but in NYC they fared worst of all age groups. While NYC's job growth
outpaced the nation's early in the recovery, in recent months the city's job
growth has slowed and now lags the nation. Two years after the national
recession officially ended, New York still faces soberingly high unemployment
and fundamental economic and job market challenges.
Press release >>
Report >>
May 12, 2011. Analysis: EDC
Living Wage Study Irrevocably Flawed. Economists and other experts conclude
study is an "inaccurate and unreliable guide for policymakers." In fact,
substantial research shows that living wage policies create good jobs without
hurting the economy. Press release
>>
Brief >>
May 5, 2011.
Top ten
reasons a living wage makes sense for New York City.
Among the reasons to support an expanded living wage:
the rising educational attainment yet falling real wages of New York City’s
low-wage workers, and a sharp rise over the past two decades in the number of
working poor. The City Council will hold a hearing on May 12 on legislation to
extend the city’s living wage law to cover large subsidized economic development
projects.
Press
release >>
Brief >>
March 8, 2011.
New
Analysis of Subsidized Projects Finds Low Wages Common: City subsidies exceed $2
billion annually.
A brief from FPI, Good Jobs New York and the National Employment Law Project
examines the low wages typically paid for many of the permanent jobs at
city-subsidized economic development projects such as Bronx Gateway Mall, Fresh
Direct and Yankee Stadium. An update of analysis originally conducted last May,
the study finds that significant numbers of low-wage jobs are being created with
New York City tax dollars, jobs for which starting pay is as low as the minimum
wage and for which annual earnings often do not even break the $20,000 mark.
Press
release >>
Full report >>
February 1, 2011.
Statement from the
Fiscal Policy Institute on the proposed Executive Budget 2011-2012. The
budget proposed today by the Governor places relies excessively on spending
cuts, which increase unemployment and intensify hardships for those bearing the
brunt of the recession. Meanwhile, a privileged group has profited tremendously
from New York's economic growth over the past two decades, and from Wall
Street's recent resurgence; the richest one percent of New Yorkers now receive
35 percent of all income in the state, while they pay a lower state and local
tax burden than middle- and low-income state residents.
Budget austerity will not put New Yorkers back to work. New York needs to
grow together, not pull apart.
January 20, 2011.
What do the new
Census population numbers tell us about New York's economy? This data brief,
a response to claims that the Census figures depict New York's economic decline,
considers the Census population numbers in relation to other measures of New
York State's relative economic performance over the past decade. The brief is
first in a series presenting and analyzing new data on New York's economy.
December 13, 2010.
New Data shows Extreme
Inequality Restrains Growth for Most New Yorkers NYC and NYS polarization trends
expose economic fault line. A new report from FPI documents the pronounced
concentration of income growth that has occurred in New York State and New York
City since 1980 - the first time that state income tax data has been compiled to
analyze trends since 1980 in income growth by various segments of the state's
population. Among the findings: The richest one percent of households increased
their share of all income statewide from 10 percent in 1980 to 35 percent in
2007, while in New York City the income share going to the top one percent rose
from 12 percent to 44 percent over that span.
Release >>
Report >>
December 7, 2010.
Over $8
Billion a Year in “Back Door” Spending in the Name of Job Creation.
A new report from FPI identifies $5.4 billion a year in state government
"back door" spending in the name of economic development and job creation. An
additional $2.8 billion a year is being drained from New York's local government
budgets
because of a variety of tax expenditures in state law. In these tough
budget times, these billions of dollars in business tax expenditures, which have
historically lacked transparency and accountability, must be examined carefully
- program by program - to determine whether the promised benefit is real, and if
so whether the expense entailed is justified.
Release
>> Report >>
November 18, 2010.
Misleading NYS GDP Data for 2009: Federal release distorts picture of NYS's
economy. The Bureau of Economic Analysis today released advance estimates
that dramatically overstate New York State's actual economic decline for 2009 -
making New York the third worst-off state - because the BEA figures are based on
very partial data and exclude any information on corporate profits. A much
better indicator of New York’s relative economic performance in 2009 is provided
by BEA's own data on total employment by state - which put New York tenth best
of the 50 states.
Release >>
November 17, 2010. Major
New Report: Long Island Economy Absorbing Immigrants with Many Gains and Few
Negative Impacts.
This report shows the big overall immigrant contribution to Long Island's
economy, stressing the diversity of immigrant jobs, but also looking at whether
immigrants are displacing U.S.-born workers or lowering wages. For nearly all
Long Island residents the answer is no. Release and
report >>
October 22, 2010.
High unemployment persists, but New York has not fared as badly as most states
in the downturn. A new report from the U.S. Department of Labor shows that from
the start of the national recession through September 2010, New York's 3.3
percent total job loss ranked it 39th among all states. New Yorkers have
certainly not been spared the recession's devastating effects; however, New York
was hit less hard than most parts of the country. Still, there were 800,000 New
Yorkers officially unemployed in September, a number nearly 75 percent higher
than when the recession began in New York in the spring of 2008.
Release with state rankings >>
September 28, 2010. Hundreds
of millions at stake for New York’s working families: Current tax debate to
determine future of key work-supporting tax credits. Low- and
moderate-income New Yorkers have a huge stake in the tax debate now going on at
the national level: over $600 million annually in work-supporting tax credits.
Enhancements to the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit (CTC)
that were made by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) will expire
at the end of 2010 unless extended by Congress. A new report from the Fiscal
Policy Institute reviews the workings of these two tax credits, how they were
changed by the Recovery Act, and why those changes should be made permanent.
Press release >>
Full
report >>
September 20, 2010.
Statement from James Parrott on the National Bureau of Economic Research
Announcement on the Business Cycle. Most New York workers remain mired in a
high unemployment, unacceptably slow recovery, despite
today's announcement by the
NBER that the national recession bottomed out in June 2009, 15 months ago.
By the most optimistic projections, three to four years of faster job growth are
required to bring the unemployment rate back down to the pre-recession. More
forceful economic stimulus measures must be applied to prevent this Great
Recession from turning into another Great Depression.
September 16, 2010.
Poverty on the Rise in New
York and Nation in 2009: Federal Assistance Lessened Recession's Impact.
The Census Bureau today released state-level data showing that the poverty rate
in New York State rose dramatically from 14.2 percent in 2008 to 15.8 percent in
2009. The number of New Yorkers in poverty jumped by 284,000 to a little over
three million. Only once since 1980 - from 1989 to 1990 - has the poverty rate
risen more than it did in 2009.
The new data also show that 2009 brought a large increase in the national poverty rate, which
jumped to 14.3 percent from 13.2 percent in 2008.
September 5, 2010. New York starting to
see job growth but not yet recovery. While New York and the nation have
begun to see some modest job growth, unemployment rates remain unacceptably high
and recovery is not yet helping most New York workers. New York is hardly
unique; from December 2007 through December 2009, the state lost 250,000 jobs, a
2.8 percent job decline. Forty states had even worse job performance over that
period.
Those with managerial/professional occupations are earning more in New York
City, while those in non-managerial/non-professional occupations are earning
less. Both groups are making less in areas outside the city.
Press release and full report >>
August 2, 2010.
Immigrant unemployment rates up less than for
U.S.-born. Data released by FPI shows that immigrants, who
make up nearly half of the New York City labor force, have an unemployment rate
that is slightly lower than for U.S.-born workers. First, immigration is
sensitive to labor market demand, so when there are fewer jobs, immigration
slows. Second, lacking a safety net, immigrants are more likely to work at
whatever jobs they can get. U.S.-born workers may have the resources to search
longer for jobs that better match their skill level.
More
>>
July 27, 2010, Albany. Press conference:
New York
Not-for-Profits Fighting Governor's Vetoes. Governor Paterson's vetoes
eliminated funds for the 2010 fiscal year and previous years promised by
legislators to not-for-profits for a variety of critical services and needed
programs in local communities throughout the state.
FPI's Frank Mauro and Ron Deutsch of New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness
spoke at the press conference. Sponsored by the New York AIDS Coalition,
New York State Catholic Conference,
New York State
Community Action Association,
New York
Library Association,
New York State
Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare,
New York State
Coalition Against Domestic Violence,
the Fiscal Policy Institute and New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness. More information: Ron Deutsch
(mkd67@aol.com, 518-469-6769).
July 27, 2010, New York City. Press conference:
New York
Not-for-Profits Fighting Governor's Vetoes. Governor Paterson's vetoes
eliminated funds for the 2010 fiscal year and previous years promised by
legislators to not-for-profits for a variety of critical services and needed
programs in local communities throughout the state.
FPI's James Parrott spoke at the press conference. Sponsored by the
Human Services Council,
AIDS Service Center NYC, Council of Senior Centers and Services of NYC,
East River Development Alliance, Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies, Food
Bank of New York City, Housing Works, Hunger Action Network of NYS, NYC
Coalition of Non-Residential Domestic Violence Service Providers, University
Settlement, Welfare Rights Initiative at Hunter College,
and the Fiscal Policy Institute. More information: Allison Sesso (sessoa@humanservicescouncil.org,
212-836-1127) or Bich Ha Pham
(bhpham@fpwa.org,
212-801-1311).
June 29, 2010. Look at Costs of
Living Reveals Financial Realities Facing New York Families.
The
Self Sufficiency Standard defines the income that working adults in New York
need to meet their families' basic needs for housing, food, transportation,
child care, medical care and taxes. The Self-Sufficiency Standard for
2010 shows that for most workers - across the state and in New York City -
earnings well above the official Federal Poverty Level (FPL) are nevertheless
far below what is needed to meet families' basic needs.
The report demonstrates the need for policies promoting economic stability.
Detailed information provided for a range of family profiles, for each county
and New York City borough. More >>
June 8, 2010. Groups Call Upon Schumer and Gillibrand to Restore Medicaid
and COBRA Health Insurance Funding. This press release from coalition partners
highlights FPI's analysis of the impact on New York State and New York City of a
6-month extension of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act's increased share of state Medicaid costs.
The groups also call for extension of ARRA's assistance with COBRA
premiums.
Material distributed at press conference >>
April 19, 2010. New report details how temporary bonus tax, other Wall
Street measures, could ease New York's budget crisis and fund property tax
relief for the most burdened households.
Sensible options for closing the state budget gap meet three goals: 1. To
support rather than undermine the needs of New York families. 2. To minimize the
negative impact of this year’s budget decisions on the fragile state economy. 3.
To require the New York financial industry - which bears responsibility for much
of the negative impact on the state’s economy and finances since 2007, and which
has now realized enormous profits because of the taxpayer-funded bailout - to
contribute a fair share to Main Street’s recovery.
Read the press release >> Read the full report >>
April 7, 2010. Campaign launches TV ads focused
on closing corporate tax loopholes and asking Wall Street to help bail out Main
Street.
The Better Choice Budget Campaign
announced a statewide advertising campaign to raise awareness of
opportunities to raise revenues in ways that minimize damage to the state's
fragile economy. Materials from the press conference include the press release
and a policy brief from FPI, Establishing a Fair, Adequate and Economically
Sensible State-Local Tax System.
Watch the ad >>
March 23, 2010. China trade gap displaces 140,000 New York jobs China's
currency manipulation fuels continued trade imbalance. New York has lost 140,000
predominantly middle-wage manufacturing jobs in recent years as a result of
China's unfair trade practices, according to a new report from the Economic
Policy Institute. Press release with data for New York Congressional districts
>>
February 22, 2010.
Advocates urge the
governor and legislature to make "better choices" to balance the state budget -
calling for more federal aid, and for Wall Street to help Main Street.
FPI, New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness,
and a diverse group of statewide organizations joined forces to explore
alternatives to state budget cuts that would further erode jobs and desperately
needed services. Materials from the press conference include a
chart of
revenue-raising and cost-saving options and a
statement of support.
Press release >>
December 21, 2009. New York City in the
Great Recession: Divergent Fates by Neighborhood and Race and Ethnicity.
Current unemployment rates at a neighborhood level for New York City, and
estimates of the unemployment rate by race/ethnicity and gender: the numbers
show huge variations from neighborhood to neighborhood and also within
neighborhoods. For example, while the overall unemployment rate in New York City
was 10.1 percent in the third quarter of 2009, unemployment was 5.1 percent on
Manhattan's Upper East and West Sides in the third quarter, compared to 15.7
percent in the South and Central Bronx and 19.2 percent in Brooklyn's East New
York neighborhood. More, including an interactive map >>
December 17, 2009. Recovery
Act Keeping Roughly 419,000 New Yorkers Out of Poverty. New estimates
released today by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) are based on
seven provisions
of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)
that directly affect individuals: three tax credits for working families, two
unemployment insurance expansions, an increase in food stamps, and a one-time
payment for retirees, veterans, and people with disabilities. Not only is the
Recovery Act is creating jobs, helping close state and local budget gaps, and
boosting the broader economy, it is also softening the recession's impact on
poverty by directly lifting family incomes.
More >>
December 15, 2009. New regional data
shows robust economic contribution of immigrants on Long Island and in the
Hudson Valley. Immigrants make up 16 percent of the combined population of
Nassau and Suffolk counties, and are responsible for 18 percent of total
economic output; in the 15-county Hudson Valley region, immigrants make up 13
percent of the population, and are responsible for 16 percent of total economic
output. Two regional reports show what jobs immigrants hold in the local
economies as well as the countries they came from.
More about immigration and economic
activity >>
November 30, 2009.
New report shows robust immigrant contribution
to GDP in the country's 25 largest metropolitan areas. In the 25 metro areas
combined, immigrants account for 20 percent of economic output and 20 percent of
the population. The same basic relationship holds true, with slight variation,
for each of the 25 areas, from metro Pittsburgh, where immigrants represent 3
percent of population and 4 percent of GDP, to metro Miami, where immigrants
make up 37 percent of the population and 38 percent of GDP.
Immigrants and the Economy also looks at the wide
range of occupations held by immigrants and other reasons immigrant economic
contribution is so consistently strong, with a special focus on the five largest
metro areas in the East. More >>
November 19, 2009. State of Working New York
City 2009: A Tale of Two Recessions. This report from FPI is an examination
of the impact of the country's "Great Recession" on the New York City economy.
The data show the shallowness of the previous expansion from 2003 to 2007 before
the onset of the Great Recession, and recession-related job losses and rising
economic insecurities. The report also explores in detail the character and
extent of unemployment in New York City - and finds that despite Wall Street's
faster-than-expected recovery, the city's Main Street economy continues to
struggle with high unemployment and widespread economic insecurity.
More >>
November 18, 2009.
Who Pays? A Distributional Analysis of the Tax
Systems in All 50 States. A new study from the
Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP), co-released by FPI, shows that
middle-income families in New York pay a higher share of their
income in state and local taxes (12.0 percent) than do the state's richest
families (who pay only 9.4 percent of their income in state and local taxes).
More >> Data for New York.
Full report, 50 states.
November 5, 2009.
Advocates Decry
Mid-Year Budget Cuts in Governor's Deficit Reduction Plan: Urge Legislature to
Look at "Less Painful" Alternatives. FPI, New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness,
and a diverse group of statewide organizations joined forces to publicize the
harmful impact of many of the governor's proposed cuts. Additional materials from the press conference:
A Better Choice for Addressing
New York State's Projected Budget Gaps, by Frank Mauro and Ron Deutsch.
Press release >>
September 16, 2009. State of Working New
York 2009: Unemployment and Economic Insecurity in the Great Recession. This
report is the latest of FPI's biennial examinations of
the conditions facing workers and working families in New York State,
released as the country hobbles through the worst economic crisis
-
the steepest economic drop and the longest period of job loss -
since the 1930s. We are living through what's been justly termed
"The Great Recession." The report outlines significant ways in which the federal
and state governments can support recovery. More >>
July 23, 2009. Federal minimum wage
boost affects 123,000 New Yorkers - but only slightly. On July 24, an
estimated 123,000 New York workers will benefit when the minimum wage rises
from the state's minimum of $7.15 an hour
to the new federal minimum of $7.25 an hour. The minimum wage in New York will
still lag that in 13 other states and the District of Columbia. And, a full-time
worker will still not earn enough to keep a family of three out of poverty.
July 2, 2009.
Albany
Inaction Costs Jobless New Yorkers $267
Million. A potent tool for fighting downturn, unemployment benefits deliver
economic stimulus where it's most needed.
But New York's
jobless benefit has been frozen
since 2000, and now lags behind dozens of states. This report from FPI and the
National Employment Law Project shows that upstate counties have been hurt
the most by the legislature's failure to increase unemployment benefits.
More
>>
April 7, 2009.
NYC nonprofit sector the largest private employer: A
vital part of the safety net, source of jobs for minorities. In New York
City, nonprofits -
health and human services and cultural organizations -
employ nearly 500,000 workers, just over 15 percent of the total. This
report,
written at the request of the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services, shows
that
the sector is growing, having added more than 50,000 jobs 2000-2007, while the
rest of the city's private economy lost jobs. The sector's current annual
payroll in the city tops $20 billion. More >>
April 3, 2009. Immigration Facts for
Binghamton, New York, prepared by FPI's Immigration Research Initiative.
The most recent data available from the Census Bureau show that eight
percent of Binghamton residents are foreign-born. Of immigrants living
in Binghamton, 44 percent are white, 11 percent are black, 32 percent
are Asian. In addition, 11 percent are Hispanic (can be of any race).
More >>
March 27, 2009. Groups Support Governor Paterson's Proposal to Eliminate
the STAR Rebate Checks; Consortium Says This Flawed Program Must be
Replaced with Meaningful Circuit Breaker. Watch this
video press conference to
learn more about how redirecting the funds now wasted on STAR rebates
will help balance this year's budget and in the longer term work toward
tax fairness.
Press release.
March 27, 2009. MEDIA
ALERT: Groups Support Governor Paterson's Proposal to Eliminate the STAR Rebate
Checks; Consortium Says This Flawed Program Must be Replaced with Meaningful
Circuit Breaker.
March 22, 2009. New Report Debunks Criticisms of Progressive Income
Tax Reform in New York: Raising Taxes on Wealthy New Yorkers Is the Best Option
for Balancing the State's Budget During the Recession.
Release
of
Back on
Track: Why Progressive Tax Reform is an Essential Part of New York's
Budget Solution. More >>
February 25, 2009.
Fiscal Policy Institute,
New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness and Economist Robert H. Frank applaud Senator
Jeffrey Klein's efforts to restore progressivity to the income tax, but question
use of tax cuts to provide economic stimulus.
February 22, 2009.
Major education
organizations release analysis showing 64 percent of school districts face cuts
in excess of $15,000 per classroom. Sixty districts face cuts over $30,000
per classroom due to Governor Paterson's $2.5 billion in school aid cuts.
Education committee chairwomen Assemblywoman Nolan and Senator Oppenheimer join
education advocates in calling for school aid restorations. Organizations call
for fair share tax reform.
Release with 14-page
district-by-district analysis.
January 22, 2009.
Record Surge in NYS
Unemployment in December: Lagging Benefits Expose Holes in Safety Net for
Jobless NYers. Data released today by the New York State Department of Labor
reveal that the state's unemployment rate jumped to 7.0 percent in December (the
highest figure recorded in the state since 1994) from
November's revised level of 6.0 percent.
Over 671,000 New Yorkers were unemployed in December, an increase of 229,000 (52
percent) from December of 2007. The national recession began in December 2007.
Both the one-month unemployment increase of 1.0 percent and the 229,000 12-month
increase in the unemployed count are all-time highs in the 32-year official
Labor Department series.
January 15, 2009. New
York Under-Invests in Higher Education, Report Finds. After more than a
decade of financial support falling short of growing enrollment, the executive
budget calls for cuts to SUNY and CUNY - at the same time that more students
seek post-secondary opportunities during the economic downturn.
More information, including student
body characteristics >>
December 16, 2008.
FPI Reaction to the
Executive Budget.
The governor's proposal hurts low- and moderate-income New Yorkers while
requiring little from wealthy New Yorkers, and would would cause needless harm
to the state economy. The lessons from 2003 show that New York can successfully
close large budget gaps without these negative impacts.
December 13, 2008.
Economists to
Governor: Raise High-End Income Taxes To Help Close Budget Gaps (press release
and letter). More than
100 economists from throughout New York State joined together this week to send
a message to Albany: steep cuts in state spending will weaken the already
struggling New York economy, and will hurt poor and middle income New Yorkers.
In a letter to the governor, the economists urge him to take a balanced approach
to closing the gap in the state budget between revenues and spending - an
approach that includes raising taxes on high-income households.
UPDATED: Letter with
120 signers.
October 16, 2008.
Wages for Young New York Workers Stuck at 1979 Levels: Union representation
means higher wages, more benefits.
A new report from the
Center on Economic and Policy Research, Unions and Upward Mobility for Young
Workers, shows that the median wage in New York State for unionized young workers is
13 percent higher than for nonunion - and 15.5 higher for young women.
Press release including
New York-specific data.
September 16, 2008. Unions Lift Wages for New York's Hispanics:
Unionization doubles health care and pension coverage. A new report from the
Center on Economic and Policy Research, Unions and Upward Mobility for Latino
Workers, shows that the median wage in New York State for unionized worker is
$16.46 per hour, compared to a median of $12.00 per hour for nonunion.
Press release including
New York-specific data.
September 8, 2008.
Bush Administration Rule
Would Force Health Centers to Close: Congress Urged to Block Hostile Rule and
Provide Temporary Fiscal Relief Through Medicaid. FPI and others point out
the wide-ranging negative impacts of the new rule, and ask for support for a
one-year moratorium and for inclusion of a temporary increase to the
Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) in
the second emergency supplemental stimulus package.
Press release,
letter to members of Congress.
August 28, 2008. Job
losses rise, straining state unemployment insurance: Unemployment up by 56,000
in the first half of 2008; In 25 counties, increase is over 20 percent. New
York's projected budget gaps have received considerable attention in Albany. The
state's growing unemployment is the other crisis to which Albany must also turn
its attention. Press release,
full report.
August 26, 2008. New York has the highest
poverty rate of all northern states. No progress on poverty and family
incomes since the 2001 recession. Fewer New Yorkers are now uninsured but
2.5 million still lack health insurance. FPI's look at new Census data for
New York. Includes figures for larger counties, cities and towns, as well as New
York's standing among the 50 states.
August 14, 2008.
Déjà Vu All Over Again - Budget Balancing in Bad Times: Raising Revenue Needs to
be Part of the Solution, Lessons From the Last Two Recessions.
August 6, 2008. Latest IRS
Data Reveal Fundamental Mismatch Between New York's Income Distribution and Its
Tax System.
July 22, 2008.
Increase in minimum
wage doesn't affect New Yorkers: Nearly 300,000 could be helped by state
legislation. Although the federal minimum wage is set to increase on July
24, New York needs state legislation to move the purchasing power of the minimum
wage closer to historic levels - and to a level that can keep a family of three
out of poverty. By increasing the minimum wage, New York would improve the
lot of workers without disrupting the labor market.
Press release,
full report.
June 11, 2008.
Thirty
Percent of New Yorkers in Working Families Can't Cover Basic Needs with Their
Wages: Work Supports Can Make a Difference, But More Must Be Done. This
report analyzes the effectiveness of "work support programs" (such as food
stamps, Child Health Plus and the Earned Income Tax Credit) in bridging the
hardship gap experienced by 5.7 million New Yorkers - that is, the gap between
family wages and a basic family budget standard.
Press
release, full
report.
May 15, 2008.
Unions Make a Big Difference for Low-Wage Workers. A new report from the
Center for Economic and Policy Research
analyzes Current Population Survey data from the Census Bureau and finds that
workers represented by a union have higher wages, especially at the low end of
the scale. Press release,
report.
"Too often, people think there's not much we can do to reverse polarization
in our economy. Here's clear evidence that unionization helps: it raises wages
for all workers, and it raises them especially among lower-wage workers."
- David Dyssegaard Kallick, FPI Senior Fellow
"Today's release of a report by CEPR is the latest evidence of how unions are
lifting low-wage workers out of poverty and into the middle class. In just the
last month, hundreds of security officers in our nation's capital won a 30
percent wage hike and mall cleaners won even higher raises through their first
ever union contracts. These same contracts provide crucial health benefits to
workers who earn too much to qualify for public health programs but not enough
to afford it themselves."
- Mike Fishman, President, Local 32BJ
May 6, 2008.
New Report: Fed Directive Threatens to Cut Funds for New York
Children's Health Coverage. A report from the Center for Children and Families
at Georgetown University shows that the Bush administration bypassed Congress to
issue a directive that will cut children's health insurance funding in New York
- at a time when residents and taxpayers can ill afford it. Report co-released
by FPI, New York Children's Action Network and
Medicaid Matters New York.
April 15, 2008.
City Could
Raise Revenues and Level Playing Field for Business. FPI examines the
business tax treatment of "carried interest" earned by private equity fund and
hedge fund managers, and finds that closing the carried interest loophole could
raise $160-$225 million in new revenue for New York City - while leveling the
playing field for New York businesses.
Press release,
full report.
April 9, 2008. Gap
Between New York's Wealthy and Poor Is Still the Widest in the Nation. New York has the dubious
distinction of having the widest income gap between the rich and the poor of all
50 states, according to this report released by FPI in conjunction with a
national study by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and the Economic
Policy Institute. The report also shows that inequality in New York City is even
more extreme than in the state as a whole.
Press release,
full report. CBPP/EPI's full
report, press release and state fact sheets are available at
www.cbpp.org.
March 31, 2008.
Honoring Dr. King's
Commitment to Unions: 40th Anniversary of Assassination in Memphis while
Supporting Strike. To commemorate Dr. King's commitment to unionization, FPI
and the Center for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) are releasing new data about
unionization among blacks in the nation and in New York State.
Press release and
data tables (unionization
rates
and union membership by race, 50 states).
March 27, 2008.
State Budget Experts
Present Ideas on the State Budget.
March 26, 2008.
Over 100
Organizations Call Upon Leaders to Listen to the Public and Support the
Millionaires' Tax. FPI is a member of the
Better Choice Budget Campaign.
Additional materials from the press conference:
Op Ed on
Better Choices by Ron Deutsch;
Siena poll showing overwhelming public support for millionaires' tax
(question 23); Fact
Sheet from New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness laying out short and long term
solutions to burgeoning property taxes. Also, the new
Tough Times radio
ad from New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness -
blogged by Liz Benjamin.
February 20, 2008.
President's
budget reflects wrong priorities for New York. FPI's release showing the
detailed impact of President Bush's $1.7 billion cut to New York for 2008-09.
December 5, 2007.
More and More
Construction Work Underground in New York City. Workers, taxpayers and
honest employers pay the price - $489 million in 2005 and are likely to reach
$557 million in 2008 - as construction employment practices deteriorate in New
York City. FPI's report
Building
Up New York, Tearing Down Job Quality looks at the
50,000 construction workers (one in four) employed
off the books or as so-called independent contractors - at substantial cost to
themselves and to taxpayers in general.
Press release and
full
report.
November 26, 2007. Working for a
Better Life: A Profile of Immigrants in the New York State Economy.
What
role do immigrants play in the New York State economy?
New results from FPI show that in 2006, they added $229 billion in economic
activity - representing fully 22.4 percent of the state's gross domestic
product. This
major new report also examines what countries immigrants come
from, where they work and how well they are doing. The report includes detailed
analysis of the role of immigrant workers and families in three distinct
regional economies: New York City, the downstate suburbs, and upstate New York.
September 1, 2007. The State of Working
New York: Modest Improvements in Wages, but Troubling Long-Term Trends.
This sixth edition
of FPI's biennial snapshot of the state economy finds a modest increase in wages
against a backdrop of worrisome trends.
For example: workers aren't seeing wage increases commensurate with their
productivity; New Yorkers living in upstate cities are twice as likely to be
poor as people nationwide; and the gap between rich and poor (and between the
rich and the middle) continues to grow.
August 28, 2007. Statement
from Frank Mauro on the New Poverty Data Released Today by the United States
Census Bureau. Worrisome trends: New York continues to have
the highest poverty rate of all of the northeastern and northern industrial
states. The poverty rates in New York's major upstate cities are incredibly
high. Median household income is flat.
July 17, 2007.
Community,
Religious, Service Organizations: Congress Should Stand With New York Families,
Not Bush.
FPI joins more than 30
children's, hunger,
religious, social service and other advocacy organizations in calling on the
state's representatives to resist pressure from the administration to cut
funding for education, child care, worker training and similar programs. More
details about why
the modest increases under consideration in
Congress cannot be characterized as fiscally irresponsible are in
FPI's new report,
The Fight over
Federal Appropriations: Impact on New York State.
July 11, 2007.
Groups
Call for Reform of Business Subsidy Programs. FPI teamed up with New Yorkers
for Fiscal Fairness, Environmental Advocates, NYPIRG and
the Sierra Club to call attention to the taxpayer funds being poured into
Empire Zones, the Brownfield Cleanup Program, and industrial development
agencies - business subsidy programs that lack basic accountability measures and
anti-sprawl provisions.
July 6, 2007.
New York's
Child Health Plus Expansion Jeopardized by Medicare Advantage Overpayments.
A new
report from FPI and Citizen Action New York finds that in 2007, there were
$700 Million in overpayments for New York alone - and NY beneficiaries paid $35
million in extra premiums. FPI and CANY point out that these funds would be
better used to finance Governor Spitzer's plan to cover all uninsured children.
Read the
report.
June 14, 2007.
New York needs a
Statewide Commission on Economic Security and Poverty.
FPI joined the
New York State
Community Action Association (NYSCAA) and New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness in
calling on Governor Spitzer and the New York State Legislature to establish a
commission on economic security to advise policymakers on how to help low income
families get ahead. Over 100 organizations from around the state joined in the
request.
June 7, 2007.
Statewide
Coalition Joins Assemblyman Brodsky to Call for an Immediate Moratorium on the
Empire Zone Program.
At a press conference focused on reforms of
the Empire Zone program, FPI executive director Frank Mauro spoke about the
differential tax treatment that is fostered by the program as currently
structured.
May 16, 2007. Religious and civic
leaders pledge to try the "Food Stamp Diet" - and eat on
$3.50 a day - and FPI releases a new report,
Stretched Too Thin: Food Stamp Benefits in New
York State.
Among dozens of challenge takers: Bishop
Howard J. Hubbard of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany,
Rev. Paul D. Rees-Rohrbacher of St. John's Lutheran Church in Albany, Ed
Bloch of the Interfaith Alliance of New York State, Lynda Schuyler of
Food Pantries for the Capital District and Linda Bopp of the
Nutrition Consortium of New York State and FPI senior economist Trudi Renwick. Bishop Hubbard's remarks available
here.
Bishop
Howard J. Hubbard of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany. In background:
Rev. Paul D. Rees-Rohrbacher of St. John's Lutheran Church in Albany,
FPI senior economist Trudi Renwick.
May 10, 2007. Food
Stamp Challenge - LIVE ON A FOOD STAMP BUDGET FOR A DAY. As Congress
prepares to reauthorize the Farm Bill that includes the Food Stamp program,
America's first line of defense against hunger and food insecurity, walk in the
shoes of the less fortunate. Try the "Food Stamp Diet" and pledge to live on the
food stamp budget ($1.16 per person per meal) for a day.
Click here to download
the pledge and background information.
May 3, 2007. Pre-K
Investment Yields Bonuses for Children, Families, Communities and State and
Federal Government. A new study from the Economic Policy Institute finds
that pre-K pays for itself not once, not twice, but 12 times over.
April 15, 2007. Affordable Housing
Construction Tainted By Sub-Standard Jobs; Think Tank Finds Huge Underground
Economy, Rampant Employment Abuse and Tax Non-Compliance.
March 6, 2007.
Cutting Upstate
Adrift Doesn't Serve It Well.
January 22, 2007.
New York Business and
Workers Thriving with Higher Minimum Wage.
November 20, 2006.
Fiscal Policy Institute Proposes Economic Agenda for One New York, Calling for
Policies to Promote Shared Prosperity.
October 17, 2006.
Fiscal Policy Institute Releases New Report Showing Role of Food Stamps in
Boosting the City Economy.
September 27, 2006. New York
Makes Real Progress on Health Care Coverage: Significant Decrease in the Number
of Uninsured, but Fiscal and Economic Burdens Must Be Addressed.
September 2, 2006. New York's recovery uneven
with wages yet to rise while worker productivity climbs: Economic and fiscal
pressures restrain rebound for most of Upstate NY.
August 29, 2006. Poverty in New York
Fails to Decline Despite Four Years of Economic "Growth." New Data Suggests Need
to Reinvigorate Efforts to Combat Poverty.
April 3, 2006. The US House of
Representatives' proposed FY 2007 budget plan calls for large cuts in domestic
programs while increasing the federal budget deficit.
March 31, 2006. States with Minimum Wages above
the Federal level have had Faster Small Business and Retail Job Growth.
March 20, 3006.
Millionaires Urge
Legislature to Keep Estate Tax.
January 26, 2006. New Studies Find Income
Inequality in New York Worst of Any State ... and Getting Worse Rather Than
Better.
September 15, 2005. New
National Report Offers Sobering Look at Trends in New York's Early Childhood
Education Workforce.
(PDF)
June 15, 2005.
Industrial Development Agencies Law Due to Sunset on June 30, 2005.
Groups Call Upon Legislature and Governor to Make Real Changes That Will
Make The Program More Accountable, Transparent and Less Corrupt.
May 18, 2005.
Hotel conversion wave cuts
deeply into hotel jobs despite strong tourism growth.
March 23, 2005.
One Million Elderly New Yorkers
Rely on Social Security for At Least Half Their Income
October 19, 2004. Early Investment in Kids = Huge Payoff to Taxpayers
September 22, 2004. Large, Profitable Corporations Not Paying Their Fair Share.
(PDF)
September 22, 2004. Diverse
Organizations Join Together to Tell Governor that his Vetoes Will Hurt,
and
Urge the Legislature to Override the Vetoes and Restore the Budget they
Have Already Passed. (MSWord Document)
September 6, 2004. Recovery Yet to Arrive for Many New
Yorkers and Their Families.
In HTML without tables and graphs.
Full version in PDF with all tables and graphs.
April 23, 2002.
New Studies Find Income Inequality in New York Worst of Any State ... and Getting Worse
Rather Than Better.
January 23, 2002.
Groups Propose More Balanced and Economically Sensible Approach
to Balancing State Budget; Call on Federal Government to Address Revenue Aspects of
Governor Pataki's $54 Billion Plan
September 25, 2001.
Despite good economic times of the last
several years, 2.5 million New Yorkers continue to live in poverty.
Labor Day 2001.
The Decade of Boom: A Bust for
Most New York Workers and Their Families. FPI releases The State of Working
New York: Taking Stock After a Decade of Growth.
March 1, 2001.
New York's income tax
system among the best for low-income working families in 2000.
February 27, 2001.
New York State Leaves Millions of Dollars Unspent for
Anti-Poverty Efforts for State's Poor Families.
February 7, 2001. Minimum wage hike would boost workers left behind by the
economic expansion.
September 27, 2000.
Social Security, America's Most Important Safety Net Program, Protects
253,000 New Yorkers Under Age 40.
September 2, 2000. FPI's Labor Day 2000 Report: New
York's Working Families - Still
Waiting for Prosperity.
June 2, 2000. New York State receives $3.9 billion less per year from the federal government in key
budget areas than it did in 1980 while military spending grew by $10.7 billion.
January 18, 2000.
National and State Reports Show Income Inequality in New York Worst of Any State: Most
New Yorkers Not Sharing in Current Boom Times.
December 2, 1999.
New Yorkers Deserve a Fair Deal from State Government:
Fair Budget Campaign issues third annual "People's Budget."
September 30, 1999.
New York's Poverty Rate Remains High While the National Poverty
Rate Continues to Fall.
September 1999.
Why the Federal and State Governments Should Both Increase and
Index Their Minimum Wages.
September 6, 1999.
PROSPERITY BYPASSES MOST NEW YORKERS: New Yorkers' Wages Fall,
Upstate Economy Falters and Ranks of Working Poor Rise in 1990s.
May 25, 1999.
Taxpayers Deserve a Fair Shake From Businesses That Receive
Government Subsidies.
April 8, 1999.
Social Security Keeps More Than 800,000 Elderly New Yorkers Out
of Poverty; Over 500,000 are Women.
March 8, 1999. Report
Shows That More Than One Million New Yorkers Are Poor Despite Work.
December 8, 1998.
Practical Action is
Necessary to Ensure that People Doing Necessary Jobs Receive a Living
Wage.
September 6, 1998.
Labor Day 1998
Brings Good Information, but Bad News for New York Workers.
May 18, 1998.
1996 and '97 Minimum Wage Hikes Boosted Earnings Without Job
Loss: Low-income Families Reap Benefits as Intended. |
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