Two days left to save the planet - This week, Policy Matters joins the Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University to bring in Jerome Ringo, President of the Apollo Alliance, as he presents Building a Renewable Energy Economy, a forum in the “Our Place in the Urban Age” series. This forum on sustainability and the energy economy will take place on Thursday, May 31, 2007 at 4 p.m. in the atrium of the Levin College of Urban Affairs on 1717 Euclid Avenue.  Ringo, a former union worker and activist in the petrochemical industry became the first African American to lead a major conservation organization, as chair of the board of the World Wildlife Fund. He is a dynamic speaker who brings together the concerns of working people, energy activists, and low-income communities. 

China Slams Ohio - Robert Scott at The Economic Policy Institute reports in Costly Trade with China that Ohio was the 8th hardest hit state in terms of job displacement since China entered the World Trade Organization.  That amounts to around 66,100 jobs since 2001.  You can read more about the effect of trade with China on the U.S. economy here.

Teach them well and let them lead the way - In his new book, Enriching Children, Enriching the Nation: Public Investment in High-Quality Prekindergarten, Robert Lynch reports that the benefits of investing in early childhood programs — on the economy, crime statistics, and future government revenues — far outweigh the costs of implementing such programs.  Policy Matters Ohio partnered with the Economic Policy Institute and Voices for Ohio’s Children to condense this national study into a concise summary of how Ohio wins with better pre-K investments.  Find the report and the the Policy Matters Ohio Fact Sheet here.

Job Watch – We lost jobs again in April. We still have 175,900 jobs fewer than we had in January, 2001. See the sad stats here.

Unreserved - The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland invited Policy Matters to join a panel exploring the reasons for Ohio’s foreclosure explosion. Our director highlighted the role of predatory lending in fueling this horrific trend, which is devastating Ohio communities. You might have missed our most recent foreclosure research, released last March.

Internal workings – Policy Matters is thrilled to welcome a phenomenal crop of summer interns: Howard University’s Ruth Obaseki, Kent State’s Tom Kapfer, Duke University’s Andy Gaines, John Carroll University students Josh Marcin and Eric Metcalf, Ohio University students Mark Stovell, Jamie Smith and Thomas McAdams, and, all the way from Germany, Sara-Theresa Becker. We’re grateful to the sponsoring universities and the Economic Policy Institute for support to bring these brilliant young minds our way, and we can’t wait to unleash them on figuring out how to create an Ohio economy that works better for all.

You might have missed - Author Jon Cohn, pushing for universal health care at the City Club of Cleveland, co-hosted by Policy Matters. If so, you can still buy the book.

That’s all!
The Policy Matters Ohio Team 

In Costly Trade with China, a new report issued May 2 by the Economic Policy Institute, economist Robert Scott reports that Ohio lost 66,100 jobs and job opportunities since 2001 when China entered the World Trade Organization. This number of jobs equaled about 1.2 percent of our state’s total employment base in 2006. Ohio ranked as the 8th hardest hit state in numeric terms. Nationally, 1.8 million jobs were displaced since 2001, averaging 353,000 per year—more than the total employment in greater Toledo. About three-fourths of the jobs were in manufacturing, and the rest in services closely related to manufacturing.

The 1.8 million jobs lost nationwide since 2001 are distributed among all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The hardest hit states in numeric terms are California (-269,300), Texas (-136,900), New York (-105,900), Illinois (-79,900), Pennsylvania (-78,200), North Carolina (-77,200), Florida (-71,900), Ohio (-66,100), Georgia (-60,400), Massachusetts (-59,300), Michigan (-54,900), and New Jersey (-49,500). These results are based on an analysis of the net employment impact of imports and exports. Although U.S. exports to China have grown, imports from China have grown far more rapidly, with import growth outstripping export growth by over five to one.

Press Release

Full Report

In Costly Trade with China, a new report issued May 2 by the Economic Policy Institute, economist Robert Scott reports that Ohio lost 66,100 jobs and job opportunities since 2001 when China entered the World Trade Organization. This number of jobs equaled about 1.2 percent of our state’s total employment base in 2006. Ohio ranked as the 8th hardest hit state in numeric terms. Nationally, 1.8 million jobs were displaced since 2001, averaging 353,000 per year—more than the total employment in greater Toledo. About three-fourths of the jobs were in manufacturing, and the rest in services closely related to manufacturing.

The 1.8 million jobs lost nationwide since 2001 are distributed among all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The hardest hit states in numeric terms are California (-269,300), Texas (-136,900), New York (-105,900), Illinois (-79,900), Pennsylvania (-78,200), North Carolina (-77,200), Florida (-71,900), Ohio (-66,100), Georgia (-60,400), Massachusetts (-59,300), Michigan (-54,900), and New Jersey (-49,500). These results are based on an analysis of the net employment impact of imports and exports. Although U.S. exports to China have grown, imports from China have grown far more rapidly, with import growth outstripping export growth by over five to one.

Press Release

Full Report

Ohio job market retreats again

Ohio’s job market retreated again in April, according to seasonally adjusted payroll numbers for nonfarm wage and salary jobs released May 18 by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS). While still above its recent low, the number of jobs remains modestly below last year’s levels and well behind those early in the decade. Month-to-month data can be volatile and are later revised, so it is unwise to put too much weight in a single month.

Full Report

A new national study by Economist Robert Lynch finds that investments in pre-K education pay for themselves more than twelve times over, in the long run. Nationally, these investments can begin paying for themselves within nine years. This research shows that Ohio and the nation can benefit enormously by investing in our youngest learners today. Publicly funded preschool actually saves government money, boosts individual earnings, reduces crime and improves community well-being. The study affirms recent commitments to early education made by Governor Strickland and lawmakers, and reinforces that more bold strides should be taken in the future.

Policy Matters Ohio teamed up with the Economic Policy Institute and Voices for Ohio’s Children to bring you this report. Author Robert G. Lynch is an Economic Policy Institute Research Associate and the Everett G. Nuttle professor and chair of the economics department at Washington College.

3-page Ohio fact sheet