Introduction: Policy Brief Vol. 26, No. 15, examined the negative effects associated with a potential $15 per hour minimum wage hike in Pennsylvania. This Policy Brief will primarily address the argument that Pennsylvania must raise its minimum wage as a matter of economic competition with surrounding states that have already done so.
Introduction: This Policy Brief reviews the changes (growth or decline) in establishment payroll employment over the period 1990 to 2025 for the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The analysis examines overall private-sector jobs, as well as major industry categories and changes over major time intervals, during the 35-years—a period long enough to evaluate long-term changes following the dramatic downturn in steel and related industry manufacturing from the 1950s through the 1970s.
The administration of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, and its legion of acolytes, insist that raising the Keystone State’s minimum wage to $15 an hour is a matter of keeping the commonwealth competitive with other states and will bolster population and employment.
It’s no secret that Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) schools, now with 10 universities with 14 campuses, have undergone a drastic enrollment decline since their peak period in 2015 and 2016.
But even with school consolidations and a minor student-count reversal in recent years, a researcher at the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy says the prospect for future enrollment gains is not very good.
