National Focus

Read reports from our national colleagues about how the smallest state in the union compares when it comes to the economic health of the state and its residents.

State Job Creation Strategies Often Off Base

A new report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities shows that
supporting homegrown startups and young, fast-growing in-state companies
is likely to be a more effective strategy for states to create jobs and
build strong economies than the across-the-board tax cuts and attempts
to lure businesses from elsewhere that many states pursue today.

Raising the wage to $12 by 2020.
New data from the Economic Policy Institute highlights the importance of raising the minimum wage to $12 an hour and refutes common misconceptions about the low-wage worker population. Rhode Island-specific data shows how increasing the federal minimum wage to $12 would directly benefit nearly 1 in 5 working Rhode Islanders.

 Rhode Island Leading the Way in Economic Development Tax Incentive Evaluations: A closer look at the Ocean State’s Tax Incentive Evaluation Law

In the last two years 10 states and the District of Columbia have passed laws that will require a regular evaluation of tax incentives or will improve upon some of the current evaluation processes. Economists at the state’s Office of Revenue Analysis will study existing tax incentives on a three year cycle and review new incentives within five years of creation.

Read news from either the Economic Policy Institute or the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities by choosing from the drop-down menu below.

Note: clicking on a headline will take you to that organization’s website for the full story