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Reports

The Illinois Economic Policy Institute promotes thoughtful economic growth for businesses and working families.

Improving Housing Affordability in Champaign County: Ways to Fix the Local Housing Shortage
By Frank Manzo IV and Robert Bruno

Economic Development

Federal Funding Cuts and Freezes: Consequences for Illinois
By Frank Manzo IV and Robert Bruno

Timely Construction: The Effect of Project Labor Agreements on Time to Completion for Public Works Construction in Sacramento County, California
By Larissa Petrucci, Matthew Hinkel, and and Grace Dunn

The State of the Unions 2025: A Profile of Unionization in Chicago, in Illinois, and in the United States
By Frank Manzo IV and Robert Bruno

Workers' Rights

The Impact of Pre-Apprenticeship Programs in Illinois: Evidence from the Highway Construction Careers Training Program and the Illinois Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program Since 2017
By Frank Manzo IV and Robert Bruno

You Can’t Buy What You Can’t Afford: Illinois’ Housing Shortage and Ways to Fix It
By Frank Manzo IV and Robert Bruno

Registered Apprenticeship Programs in Wisconsin’s Construction Industry: The Joint Labor-Management Advantage
By Frank Manzo IV, Jacob Hager, and Robert Bruno

Prevailing Wage

Modernizing Illinois’ Sales Tax: A Pathway for a Sustainable Future
By Illinois Economic Policy Institute, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, Center for Tax and Budget Accountability, and the Civic Federation

Taxation

The Impact of Project Labor Agreements on Costs, Competition, and Contractors in Illinois: Evidence from Capital Development Board Projects
By Frank Manzo IV and Robert Bruno

Prevailing Wage

Living Wages in Registered Apprenticeship Programs: An Assessment by Industry Demographics, State, and Labor Policy. 
By Frank Manzo IV and Robert Bruno

Apprenticeship Training