The Buckeye Institute commented on the newly released jobs report from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, saying, “February 2023 marks three years after the start of the pandemic, and Ohio now has 4,805,900 private-sector jobs—11,000 jobs shy of the state’s pre-pandemic peak. Ohio’s job market added 2,300 private-sector jobs in February, continuing a trend that should see the state surpass its pre-pandemic job total this year.”

In Crain’s Cleveland Business, The Buckeye Institute urges greater use of public-private partnerships to address Northeast Ohio’s infrastructure challenges, writing that P3s serve as a “successful model for improving and maintaining urban infrastructure cost-effectively” and “give private enterprise a greater role in financing and building roads and other large public projects.” The opinion piece is part of Crain’s Forum series, a monthly deep dive into intractable issues facing Northeast Ohio that intersect public policy and business.

The Buckeye Institute commented on the newly released jobs report from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, saying, “The private sector added 12,600 jobs in January. However, most notable are the results of the annual revisions that statisticians undertake each year to ensure accuracy in the job numbers. The revisions show greater private-sector job growth in Ohio, with an additional 36,000 jobs added last year.”

“Ohio feels the negative side effects of obesity more acutely than most states. With one-third of its workforce fighting obesity, Ohio ranks 15th in the nation.” In an op-ed published by RealClearPolicy, The Buckeye Institute marks Obesity Care Week by highlighting a forthcoming research paper that “estimates that obesity has sidelined more than 32,000 workers — more than enough to construct and fully staff Intel’s new semiconductor plant in central Ohio. And those missing workers have deprived the state of nearly $20 million in tax revenue.”
 

The Buckeye Institute commented on Governor Mike DeWine’s proposed 2024-2025 budget, saying, “Governor Mike DeWine’s budget blueprint contains many laudable ideas to make Ohio a more prosperous state, including a significant expansion of school choice. By increasing the eligibility for the EdChoice scholarship to 400 percent of poverty, Ohio will put students first and empower families to choose the education setting that is best for their children.”

In a new policy brief, Budget Priorities for a More Prosperous Ohio, The Buckeye Institute outlines specific tax and education reforms lawmakers should pursue to improve Ohio’s economy and workforce. “By adopting tax reforms that allow workers to keep more of their own money and education policies that empower families, lawmakers will make Ohio a freer, less expensive, and more desirable place to live, learn, and work.”

The Buckeye Institute commented on the newly released jobs report from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, saying, “In December’s jobs report, the unemployment rate was stuck at 4.2 percent while the labor force participation rate fell from 61.3 percent to 61.2 percent. Ohio’s situation contrasts with the national jobs report, which saw unemployment fall to 3.5 percent and the labor force participation rate climb to 62.3 percent.”

Many regulations were suspended or relaxed as COVID-19 surged in the United States. So why are they coming back? Rea S. Hederman Jr., executive director of the Economic Research Center and vice president of policy at The Buckeye Institute, joins Caleb O. Brown, host of the Cato Daily Podcast, to explain.

The Buckeye Institute commented after Governor Mike DeWine signed Ohio Senate Bill 131, universal occupational license recognition, into law, saying, “The Buckeye Institute-championed policies in Senate Bill 131 will enable people who already possess an occupational license from another state to move to the Buckeye State and pursue their dreams…With job opportunities proliferating thanks to projects like the new Intel plant, Ohio needs a vibrant workforce, and the policies that Governor DeWine signed into law will bring new workers to our state.”

The Buckeye Institute filed public comments with the U.S. Department of Labor on proposed rules from the Biden Administration that would harm Ohio businesses and workers. In comments to the National Labor Relations Board on the standard for determining joint-employer status and in comments to the Department of Labor on employee or independent contractor classification under the Fair Labor Standards Act, Buckeye outlined the harm that Ohio’s businesses and workers would suffer under the proposed rules.