Saturday Stats: Policy by the numbers
Posted August 21, 2020 in eNews
495,100: Ohio had nearly half a million fewer jobs in July than we did a year ago, despite adding 62,700 jobs last month. In the latest JobWatch, researcher Michael Shields digs into the numbers and identifies three ways policymakers must step up to help families in crisis.
$600: The $600 in weekly unemployment compensation Ohioans received from the federal government was a lifeline. President Trump will take disaster relief money to pay for “Lost Wages Assistance,” but at half the level—and for a very limited time. Zach Schiller put together a fact sheet detailing what we know about the Trump plan and how it falls short for Ohio.
Nearly 500,000: That’s how many Ohioans couldn’t pay their rent in June. And yet, local courts have resumed eviction hearings. Ohioans have been doing their part to keep each other safe, Wendy Patton writes. It’s outrageous that Congress can’t come together on a relief package to help people get through this difficult time.
$600 million: Ohio employers steal an estimated $600 million per year from workers by not paying them their full wage, paying below the minimum wage, or misclassifying employees as independent contractors. The problem is so big in Ohio partly because state lawmakers don’t properly fund enforcement. Hannah Halbert testified before Columbus City Council that with the state failing to act, cities have to lead. Columbus is considering an ordinance to curb wage theft and hold cheating employers accountable.
80+: The ReImagine Appalachia blueprint is now endorsed by more than 80 organizations! Caitlin Johnson writes in the Columbus Dispatch that the blueprint shows the way forward to good-paying jobs, clean air and water, and thriving communities for everyone. It can also be an antidote to big energy corporations’ strangle-hold on our economy and our democracy, avoiding the kinds of corruption that brought us HB 6 and the lawmakers responsible for it.
1 in 4: That’s the share of 16- to 24-year-olds who were unemployed in May. Summer intern April Hopcroft says reviving the New Deal’s Civilian Conservation Corps can help put young people to work while also tackling climate change. It’s also a key part of the ReImagine Appalachia plan.
949,000: Number of Ohioans who live within a mile of an abandoned mine. Hazards of these sites include open pits, increased risks of landslides and floods, and acid mine drainage that wreaks havoc on our water systems and wildlife. ReImagine Appalachia would use federal resources to put people to work reclaiming land damaged by fossil fuel extraction. If the U.S. Senate passes the RECLAIM Act, the state could receive $61 million over five years toward cleaning up dangerous mining legacies in Ohio, Amanda Woodrum writes in the Ohio Capital Journal.
69, 81, 119: The number of jobs cut by the University of Dayton, Ohio University and Bowling Green State, respectively, in recent months. Colleges and universities all over the state face dramatic losses as schools grapple with reduced revenue and enrollment. That doesn’t just hurt schools–it can devastate entire communities surrounding them, writes summer intern Siyang Liu.
28: Days since landlords were allowed by the CARES Act to begin issuing 30-day notices of eviction for failure to pay rent. Hundreds of thousands of Ohioans are on the brink of homelessness. To learn more about how we got here and what lawmakers can do to ensure children and families in Ohio have safe, stable housing, tune in this Tuesday, 8/25, at 2:00 pm, for a panel discussion featuring Budget Researcher Will Petrik. Register here.
68.3%: Ohio’s 2020 Census completion rate so far. (In many Ohio counties and municipalities, it’s even worse!) Getting a complete, accurate count is crucial to helping Ohioans survive the pandemic and its economic fallout; crucial programs rely on federal funding allotted based on how many people live here. So please: (1) Complete the census. (2) Make sure your friends and family all do the same. (3) Check out “Count Me In: Food Policy, Census, & Voting During COVID-19,” convened by the Food Policy Coalition and featuring Outreach Director Daniel Ortiz. It’s scheduled for September 11 at 10 am – Zoom & FB Live details to follow.