Under Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s budget proposal, taxes on ride share companies would increase by 15 cents per ride in 2018 and by 5 cents more per ride in 2019. This move comes in part due to advocacy by taxi companies, but ride share would remain the less expensive option in many cases. The proposed increase is projected to generate an additional $16 million for the Chicago Transit Authority in 2018, and an additional $5 million in 2019. The Emanuel administration estimates that the ride share apps have cost the city and nearby local governments $40 million in lost revenue.
Online job postings for bilingual workers more than doubled between 2010 and 2015, reports the Boston Globe, amid other indicators that language ability is increasingly important to employers. Though highly skilled jobs grew more quickly, the majority of bilingual jobs don’t require a bachelors degree
Demand is also acute for professionals with expertise in artificial intelligence, who are being courted by both Silicon Valley and the auto industry. Typical salaries are between $300,000 and $500,000 per year, and many are drawn away from academia. Observing the fruits of their work, the Wall Street Journal euphemistically reports that artificial intelligence will allow–and is already allowing–firms to cut labor costs and free up humans to do more complex work.
Middle-aged Americans’ health is declining and life expectancies are stalling, reports the Boston Globe. Nonetheless, almost one in five Americans is still working in their early 70s. In retirement, the Washington Post observes that paying for college tuition for a grandchild can present a significant challenge. A rising number of children are being raised by their grandparents.
Daily News & Commentary
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June 9
SoFi Stadium workers authorize a strike ahead of the World Cup; the NLRB finds Starbucks violated labor law; Trump’s $100,000 H-1B visa fee is struck down.
June 8
BLS releases May jobs reports; US Trade Representative proposes new tariffs.
June 7
SAG-AFTRA members ratify a four-year CBA and the International Trade Union Confederation releases its 2026 Global Rights Index.
June 4
Third Circuit tosses DOL’s $35.8 million healthcare wage award; Trump’s Republican NLRB nominee gets Senate hearing; Harvard graduate students end strike.
June 3
JOLTS data shows mixed labor market as personal income declines; New York Fed research links remote work to rising youth unemployment; Virginia Governor Spanberger signs sweeping employment reform package.
June 2
Illinois passes rideshare driver unionization bill; DOL issues new union financial reporting rule; unions push back against AI data center regulations.