The State of Working Ohio 2004 chronicles how the economy has treated Ohio workers over the past year, the past decade, and the past generation. This year's edition finds that the past year posed serious challenges to Ohio workers as jobs continued to disappear and median hourly wages fell for the third straight year. Over a longer trend, inequality has increased, gaps between black and white workers have widened, and median wages have not grown. Percentage job loss in Ohio has been worse than in all but two other states and is much worse than that seen in the aftermath of previous recessions. And even though Ohio workers are more educated and more productive than ever before, wages and incomes are not growing. The State of Working Ohio 2004, the sixth annual such report issued each year on Labor Day, concludes with ten recommendations for improving Ohio’s economy.

Press Release

Executive Summary

Full Report

Conclusion and Recommendations

Short Report (six pages)

Policy Matters is grateful to Jeff Chapman and Sujan Vasavada at the Economic Policy Institute and to Matthew Zeidenberg at the Center on Wisconsin Strategy for assistance with data analysis for this report.

The Joyce Foundation supports Policy Matters Ohio research on workers in Ohio. The St. Ann Foundation provides additional funding for presentations and popular education on these issues. We are also grateful to the Gund, Nord Family and Cleveland Foundations for other support.

Please contact us if you are interested in having Policy Matters present to your group on issues facing working families.