Although employment has improved dramatically since the peak of job loss during the pandemic, Missouri’s strong unemployment rate masks considerable geographic disparities. Further, not all Missourians have recovered equally. Tying unemployment benefits to economic conditions Read More
Working families with low-wages may earn too little money to owe income taxes, but they contribute significant portions of their income to state general revenue in sales and property taxes. In fact, in Missouri, the lower your earnings, the more you pay in state and local taxes Read More
A number of tax changes made over the last three decades have resulted in an inadequate, upside-down tax system where low- and middle-income Missourians pay a higher share of their income in taxes than the richest Missourians, and out-of-state corporations pay less than their Read More
Increasing housing values and associated property taxes can price older people out of the homes they have lived in for decades, separating them from their neighbors and communities. Similarly, rising costs can make accessible housing unaffordable for Missourians with Read More
While all Missourians were impacted by the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, some were hit harder than others. Although every Missourian deserves the opportunity to thrive, with quality housing they can afford, a job that lets them provide for their families, and a Read More
Introduction Working Missourians are the engines of our economy, supplying the products and services we all use in our daily lives. They harvest the food we eat, build the homes we live in, and pave the roads we drive on; they keep our communities safe, provide our families with Read More
In July, Missouri implemented temporary enrollment policies to reduce the state’s Medicaid application backlog. These strategies have been extremely effective at streamlining access to coverage and reducing administrative burden, and the Missouri Department of Social Services Read More
Updated November 16th, 2022: The earlier version showed an incorrect figure for the impact of reducing the top rate from 5.3 to 4.3% on the middle 20% of income earners. The earlier version showed -155; the correct figure is -115. Read More
As the number of older Missourians increases, demand for programs serving older adults and people living with disabilities has grown dramatically. However, the availability of and funding for these services has not kept pace. This report provides an overview of state programs Read More