New report says Ohio is so-so for workers

Ohio leaders like to tout our state as a fantastic place to work however, in response to Oxfam, it is not truly so nice for lots of people.

Driving the information: Ohio ranks No. 23 on the anti-poverty nonprofit’s annual research of the “Greatest and Worst States to Work in America.”

Why it issues: A lot consideration is rightfully paid to attracting new firms like Intel and employees to the Buckeye State, however the struggles of low-income employees are sometimes neglected.

Zoom in: The state’s minimal wage of $9.30 per hour is a far cry from the residing wage wanted to comfortably increase a household of 4, per the research.

• Our minimal wage is larger than the nationwide quantity of $7.25, rising solely step by step every year to replicate the rise in value of residing.
• Ohio was additionally dinged for missing assured paid sick depart and stopping employers from asking job candidates their wage historical past — a coverage that suppresses wages.

Sure, however: Our state can also be credited with having strong union organizing protections, particularly for public staff.

Between the traces: Ohio’s median family revenue final 12 months was $62,262, per the newest U.S. Census knowledge. That is under the nationwide median of $70,784.

• The state has recovered almost all the roles misplaced on the onset of the pandemic, and plenty of Ohioans have seen pay will increase in recent times, Coverage Issues Ohio highlighted in its 2022 “State of Working” report.
• However excessive inflation has wiped away a lot of these wage positive aspects, the group famous.

The intrigue: One checklist our metropolis leads — Columbus has embraced distant work greater than another Ohio metro, in response to the Census’ newest American Neighborhood Survey knowledge.

The large image: The share of Individuals who earn a living from home tripled between 2019 and 2021 to 17.9% of all employees — or 27.6 million folks.