The Buckeye Institute commented on the newly released jobs report from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, saying, “While Ohio’s unemployment rate has increased, Ohio’s May jobs report does offer some good news. Employers reported adding 22,900 private-sector jobs led by jobs in healthcare, science, and tech. And revisions to last month’s report reveal that Ohio added 25,000 more jobs than initially reported.”

The Buckeye Institute commented on the newly released jobs report from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, saying, “Although Ohio’s job market set employment records over the past year, it has now clearly cooled as higher interest rates and inflation take their toll on Ohio’s families and businesses,” and encouraging policymakers to “continue efforts to reduce the overall tax burden on Ohioans in a sustainable and responsible manner that also constrains spending, protects taxpayers, and keeps Ohioans working.”

In a new policy memo, How Higher Hospital Costs Lead to Higher Prices, The Buckeye Institute outlines one of the largest single drivers of healthcare costs—rising hospital costs. In his memo, Rea S. Hederman Jr., executive director of the Economic Research Center and vice president of policy at The Buckeye Institute, notes that hospital costs account for 30 percent of all healthcare spending. Hederman urges “hospitals—and the policymakers that help oversee them” to “look for ways to control spending and alleviate known causes of higher costs.”

In The Washington Times, The Buckeye Institute highlights how Europe’s experience reveals the economic pain the U.S. will face if it implements the Biden administration’s net-zero policies, writing, “There is little to be learned from the second kick of a mule, as the old saying goes. European countries took the first proverbial kick from net-zero mandates, and they have the economic bruises to show for it. There is no reason for U.S. farmers and consumers to stand behind the same mule.”

On RealClearEnergy, Rea S. Hederman Jr., executive director of the Economic Research Center and the vice president of policy at The Buckeye Institute, marks Earth Day by looking at the progress “Americans and their businesses have made in making the air, water, and land cleaner and healthier for everyone” and cautions against draconian government policies that could cause more harm than good. 

The Buckeye Institute commented on Ohio’s newly released jobs report from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, saying, “Ohio’s job market has cooled since the sizzling summer of 2023. While Ohio is adding new jobs, faster job growth is needed to reduce an unemployment rate that has crept up over the last several months…Ohio needs to focus on fiscal and economic reforms that will lead to job growth in the Buckeye State.”

To the IRS and state tax collectors, your money looks a lot like theirs—especially today, when tax returns and taxes owed are due. Writing checks for the government to cash always hurts, but it could be worse. The Buckeye Institute has helped reduce state taxes in Ohio, and championed tax reforms with think tanks across the country to help spur growth and relieve tax burdens.

The Buckeye Institute reacted to Governor Mike DeWine’s State of the State speech, saying, “The Buckeye Institute was also pleased to hear Governor DeWine call for an emphasis on career tech, improvements to Ohio College Opportunity Grants, and to provide parents and students with data on graduation-to-employment rates from Ohio’s public universities. For Ohio to succeed, the state must ensure its workforce is trained and ready to fill 21st century jobs.”

As an independent research and educational institution advancing free-market public policies in the states, The Buckeye Institute works to reform regulatory codes and cut burdensome red tape. In keeping with this practice, Buckeye submitted public comments to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners on its current proposal to increase the risk charge for residuals. Buckeye encouraged the NAIC to temporarily pause its proposal for one year to solicit further input and collect additional data on the risk-profile of residuals.

In a new report—A Healthcare World Reimagined: How Big Government Threatens Healthcare AI and What to Do About It—that is no April Fools’ Day joke, The Buckeye Institute outlines policy solutions and regulatory changes lawmakers should address to capitalize on the benefits of artificial intelligence to improve healthcare services. “Artificial intelligence, even in its fledgling stage, already shows great promise for improving healthcare services for physicians, hospital systems, and their patients.”