Economic Policy Institute

Unions

Minimum wage

Corporate power

Child labor

The case for tripling union membership

How rebuilding union power would strengthen workers, the economy, and our democracy

First-of-its-kind analysis measures how expanding union membership would boost wages, lower inequality, and benefit communities and democracy. The report estimates that tripling union membership would:

Deliver a 14.5% raise for the median worker—amounting to more than $7,700 annually, or nearly $270,000 over a 35-year career.
Shift $1.2 trillion to workers annually.
Raise wages in every state.
Significantly narrow racial wage gaps.

Read now →

Seventeen states and localities are increasing their minimum wage this July

On July 1, the minimum wage will increase in Alaska, Oregon, and Washington, D.C.—lifting wages for more than 361,000 workers and collectively raising their earnings by more than $221 million.

In addition to these two states and D.C., 14 cities and counties are also increasing their minimum wage this summer, including Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

Learn more about where the minimum wage is going up and how that has positive impacts on more than the people who earn it →

U.S. employers spend more than $1.5 billion annually on union avoidance

NEW: U.S. employers spend roughly $1.7 billion a year on union avoidance consultants and law firms to keep their workers from organizing and bargaining for better pay and working conditions, according to our new report with LaborLab.

While research shows many nonunion workers want to join a union, U.S. labor law allows employers to derail workers’ unionization efforts with impunity.

It doesn’t have to be this way →

Efforts to strengthen child labor protections have stalled

Despite rising child labor violations, at least 13 state legislatures have attempted to roll back child labor standards this year. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has undermined federal enforcement of child labor standards.

While a few states are strengthening protections, more state lawmakers should take action to combat this growing child labor crisis.

It doesn’t have to be this way →

Latest Research

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Blog

In Trump’s economy, Black adults and their families face worsening job security and financial stability

August 4, 2026 By Ismael Cid-Martinez Blog
The cost of mass deportations in states like Minnesota—and what federal tax dollars could be funding instead

August 3, 2026 By Gordon Lafer Blog
Congress has long underfunded worker protection agencies. The Republican budget would deepen the damage.

July 29, 2026 By Margaret Poydock and Christina Ayon Blog
Unions are key to high-quality public education

July 27, 2026 By Hilary Wething Blog
New York City—like the rest of the country—should invest more in public schools. Boosting the pay of paraprofessionals is a start.

July 15, 2026 By Josh Bivens Blog
Industry groups find a back door to weakening child labor protections in Ohio, after years of bipartisan opposition: States must continue to resist coordinated, industry-backed attacks

July 13, 2026 By Nina Mast Blog
Medicaid and SNAP cuts will harm students and local economies

July 9, 2026 By Hilary Wething Blog

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EPI in the news

Weekly rewind: Bus driver shortage prompts Union to announce pay raise

According to a study published in November by the Economic Policy Institute, the number of school bus drivers still lags behind pre-pandemic numbers. As of August 2025, there were about 202,000 people employed as school bus drivers nationwide. That figure represents a decrease of 21,200 people, or 9.5% compared to August 2019.

Tulsa World | August 4, 2026
Wage theft clinic kicks off Northwest Ohio Worker Center

Employers steal about $15 billion from workers every year through minimum wage violations alone, according to the Economic Policy Institute.

Toledo Blade | August 4, 2026
Back to School: What to know regarding the Dothan City School bus system

According to the Economic Policy Institute, staffing levels are 9.5% to 10% below pre-pandemic baselines.

WDHN-TV (Alabama) | August 4, 2026
School bus driver shortage: How local districts are responding

More than 25 million students ride the bus each school year, according to the American School Bus Council, but the Economic Policy Institute reports there are still 21,000 fewer drivers on the road than before the COVID-19 pandemic.

WTVY-TV (Alabama) | August 4, 2026
Alaska reported 13.2% drop in federal jobs in 2025; a state-owned magazine now claims it’s 4.5%

The article also states Alaska had the third-highest loss of federal jobs among states by percentage, using month-to-month tracking. While other reports citing higher total federal job losses do not provide figures by state, the Economic Policy Institute notes Alaska as of March 2025 ranked sixth among states in federal employees as a percentage of the total workforce.

Juneau Independent | August 4, 2026
The wellness industry is not selling wellbeing to black women

Labor data from the Economic Policy Institute and Congressional testimony by Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) confirm that approximately 600,000 Black women lost their jobs, greatly impacting the U.S. workforce and costing the economy an estimated $37 billion.

Fast Company | August 4, 2026
Arizona ranks No. 4 for pay disparity between top earners and middle earners

Wage equality helps define how workers share in economic growth. When top earners pull far ahead of median workers, rising high-end pay concentrates gains among a relatively small group. According to the Economic Policy Institute, earnings inequality has “redistributed wages away from most workers” and stifled “broader-based wage growth.” However, wider wage gaps may also reflect stronger rewards for specialized skills and experience, factors that can help drive productivity and economic expansion.

AZ Big Media | August 3, 2026

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Shattering the myth of equal power in the workplace. Unequal power

How rebuilding union power would strengthen workers, the economy, and our democracy

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Latest Research

The case for tripling union membership: How rebuilding union power would strengthen workers, the economy, and our democracy

Sectoral bargaining FAQ: Collective bargaining, sectoral wage and standards boards, and worker power

Myths vs. facts about the minimum wage: An FAQ on the economics of increasing wage floors

Setting high standards for a federal minimum wage: Raising the wage to two-thirds of the national median wage would lift pay for nearly 40 million workers

U.S. employers spend more than $1.5 billion annually on union avoidance

Blog

In Trump’s economy, Black adults and their families face worsening job security and financial stability

The cost of mass deportations in states like Minnesota—and what federal tax dollars could be funding instead

Congress has long underfunded worker protection agencies. The Republican budget would deepen the damage.

Unions are key to high-quality public education

New York City—like the rest of the country—should invest more in public schools. Boosting the pay of paraprofessionals is a start.

Industry groups find a back door to weakening child labor protections in Ohio, after years of bipartisan opposition: States must continue to resist coordinated, industry-backed attacks

Medicaid and SNAP cuts will harm students and local economies

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