OK kids, let’s talk labor. No, not the baby mama kind. 🤰🏻 The workforce kind.
A recent report ranked all 50 states on how good (or bad) their labor policies are. 📝 Where does Pennsylvania fall? Spoiler alert: it’s mid as hell. 😑👩🏽🔧 Spoken like a true Gen Alpha.
Here’s Five Fast Facts on how PA’s labor policies stack up:
- ↔️ Malcolm in the Middle - How do PA’s labor policies compare to the rest of the country? According to a new report from the American Legislative Exchange Council, the Keystone State came in at 33 for what it considers “pro-growth” reforms.
- ⭐ Labor Lackluster - Why did Pennsylvania get such a poopy score? The report gives up to five stars for certain key labor reforms. From the list, PA got a whopping zero stars in seven reform categories. They include eliminating the right-to-work law, banning paid leave time for union-related activities, and restrictions on worker classifications and contracts.
- 🥜 Pushin’ Peanuts - The commonwealth is also tied with 19 other states for lowest minimum wage rate. Honestly, we can’t believe anyone out there offers $7.25 an hour with a straight face. *Joe Biden voice* Come on, man.
- 📊 Highs and Lows - PA might be in the “meh” middle, but who’s on either end? Coming in at the top five, we have Arizona, Utah, Georgia, Arkansas, and Florida. Who stinks the most? Connecticut, New York, Oregon, Massachusetts, and Alaska.
- 👷🏽♂️ It’s Union, Jack - Although PA is 35th in average 10-year private sector employment growth, the state has the fourth-highest percentage of public sector union workers in the nation (53.61%). Out of PA’s 5,133,813 private sector jobs, 7.79% are union (399,694).
🔥Bottom line: Depending on where you work, another bummer could be a lack of a solid retirement plan. While some employers offer a 401(k) as a perk, they’re not required to. However, there’s a new bill floating through the PA legislature that could help more workers save for their golden years. We recap all the latest in this article.
Do you work a PA union job?
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