Pew's States' Fiscal Health initiative provides data, analysis, and guidance to help states navigate their fiscal challenges and identify and understand potential policy approaches. We examine key issues and promising approaches on both sides of the ledger—revenues and expenditures.
Why Understanding States' Fiscal Health Matters
States are emerging slowly from the Great Recession. In many states, revenues are gradually recovering but have not yet returned to pre-recession levels, and rising health care, education, and infrastructure costs are outpacing their growth. States’ fiscal health is critical to the nation’s economic recovery.
How We Conduct Our Work
Pew illuminates states’ fiscal challenges on both sides of the ledger—revenues and expenditures—and helps lawmakers, key stakeholders, and the media identify and understand potential policy options. We produce original research, including comprehensive 50-state assessments that compare and contrast states’ experiences and highlight promising approaches. And we convene policy leaders and experts in the field to discuss common challenges and learn from each other.
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The LATEST from the Project
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- Issue Brief
- States' Fiscal Health
Kentucky's Pension Challenges
Pension problems, such as those in Kentucky, are rooted in simple math, rather than in political ideology. more
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- Media Coverage
- States' Fiscal Health
Pension Shortfalls Force States to Consider Cutting Benefits
Pew Center on the States Research Director Kil Huh discusses the challenges states face in funding retirement benefit promises and the reforms states have enacted to address these challenges.
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- Press Release
- States' Fiscal Health
Pew Study Finds Shortfall in States' Retirement Systems Has Grown To At Least $1.38 Trillion
The gap between the promises states have made for public employees’ retirement benefits and the money they have set aside grew to at least $1.38 trillion in fiscal year 2010, resulting in a nine percent increase in one year, according to a report released by the Pew Center on the States. more
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June 18, 2012
The Widening Gap Update
The gap between the promises states have made for public employees’ retirement benefits and the money they have set aside to pay these bills was at least $1.38 trillion in fiscal year 2010, according to Pew's latest comprehensive analysis on pension and retiree health care funding. more
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- Featured Collection
- States' Fiscal Health
State Fact Sheets: The Widening Gap Update
The gap between the promises states have made for public employees’ retirement benefits and the money they have set aside to pay these bills was at least $1.38 trillion in fiscal year 2010, according to Pew's latest comprehensive analysis on pension and retiree health care funding. View our collection of state fact sheets. more
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- Data Visualizations
- States' Fiscal Health
The Widening Gap
The gap between the promises states have made for public employees’ retirement benefits and the money they have set aside to pay these bills was at least $1.38 trillion in fiscal year 2010 more
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- Featured Collection
- States' Fiscal Health
Pensions and Retiree Health Benefits
Pension and retiree health care costs are rising sharply in the states, adding to budget pressures and threatening to crowd out resources for other priorities like education, health care, and infrastructure.
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- Media Coverage
- States' Fiscal Health
Many States Are Cutting Back on Benefits Promised to Public Employees, Sparking a Political Debate
In the state of Illinois’ current economic climate, it is important to help businesses create and retain jobs needed to revitalize our economy. But there must be assurances the state is making responsible investments. We must critically examine economic development tools currently being used to ensure state dollars are being used efficiently and that taxpayers are getting the best return on every incentive.
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- Media Coverage
- States' Fiscal Health
Teachers Reflect on State Worker Pension Reform
Many states are cutting back on benefits promised to public employees, sparking a political debate.more -
- Report
- States' Fiscal Health
Evidence Counts
A report by the Pew Center on the States concludes that 13 states are leading the way in generating much-needed answers about tax incentives’ effectiveness. Twelve states have mixed results. Half the states have not taken the basic steps needed to know whether their incentives are effective. The study highlights a wealth of promising approaches states have taken to help lawmakers find those answers.
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