For Labor Day, a look at state policies that work for workers

MassBudget    Information.    Participation.  Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center    Democracy. $15 minimum wage, paid leave help Massachusetts workers MassBudget Labor Day report offers state policy options for the future This year, Massachusetts took steps toward enabling working people to earn enough to support themselves and their families. Some recently-passed policies - a $15 minimum wage, a Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program, and an increase of the state's Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) to 30 percent of the federal credit - can help improve the lives and working conditions of people across the state. The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center's new report, Keeping Massachusetts Working for Workers: Policy Gains in 2018 and Possibilities Beyond, reviews the state's advances in 2018 and explores how it can further improve workers' conditions through policy. Massachusetts is the third state to pass a $15 minimum hourly wage and the seventh state to create a PFML program. In concert with these, the increase of the state EITC match can help thousands of low-income working families make ends meet. But many workers continue to deal with unpredictable schedules and employers who don't pay them the wages they are due, among other issues. This report offers a menu of state-level policy options that can have the widest impact on Massachusetts workers. Read the full report here. ### The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) produces policy research, analysis, and data-driven recommendations focused on improving the lives of low- and middle-income children and adults, strengthening our state's economy, and enhancing the quality of life in Massachusetts. MASSACHUSETTS BUDGET AND POLICY CENTER 15 COURT SQUARE, SUITE 700 BOSTON, MA 02108

Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, 15 Court Square, Suite 700, Boston, MA 02108