An email this morning from George Zeller at the Center for Community Solutions:
I do not recall if I sent you notice about our report on job and paycheck earnings losses in Ohio counties during the 2000s recession. If not, I make up for that lapse here. The report is found on our web site at:Thank you, George.
Link.
Astonishingly, the annual aggregate paycheck losses in Ohio from the lost jobs were $2.5 billion. The loss in northeast Ohio alone was $2.6 billion. This seems impossible, but it is true. There are two causes for this implausible situation. First, the recession hit northeast Ohio very hard, relative to most other parts of Ohio. Second, of those who did not lose their jobs, the average earnings of a job increased during the recession. Thus, paychecks grew among those workers who were still working, particularly outside northeast Ohio, but even within northeast Ohio to an extent. So there are two groups of workers in Ohio. The ones who were laid off saw their incomes plunge to zero. The ones who got a raise above inflation said, "What recession?"
Meanwhile, Ohio also broke the record once again earlier this week. We have now gone an all-time record 122 consecutive months with Ohio's job growth below the national average. That is two months into our second decade of this record-breaking streak. We also have a report that documents this discouraging and astonishing streak.
Link.
(Incidentally, CCS has a blog... lots of stuff on state budget issues and TEL.)