Economic Policy Institute

Right to work

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Overtime

States with 'right-to-work' laws have lower unionization rates and more anti-worker policies

So-called right-to-work (RTW) laws undermine workers’ ability to form unions. Unionization rates are lower in RTW states—and since unions raise wages, that suppression lowers pay.

Non-RTW states are more likely to have pro-worker policies like higher minimum wages and prevailing wage laws, restrictions on noncompete agreements, pay transparency policies, and more protective unemployment insurance benefits.

Lawmakers already have the policy tools they need to boost wages and improve other outcomes for workers.

Here’s what can be done →

Teachers and students nationwide are still paying the price of decades of neglect

As students and school staff begin a new school year, teachers face a familiar problem: stagnant wages. Teachers earned 25.2% less than comparable college graduates in 2025, according to our new report with the Center for Economic and Policy Research.

After accounting for inflation, public school teachers’ weekly wages fell 6.2% over the past three decades, while wages for other college graduates rose 28.8% over the same period.

This decades-long teacher pay penalty has taken a heavy toll on public education. Reversing these trends will require targeted, sustained investment at the local, state, and federal levels.

It doesn’t have to be this way →

NEW! The cost of deportations calculator

What could this money be used for instead?

The 2025 Republican tax and spending megabill (OBBBA) enabled the Trump administration to take your taxpayer dollars to pay for mass deportations.

The federal government plans to spend $268.9 billion—or $2,358 per taxpayer—to undertake mass deportations throughout the second Trump administration

This new calculator helps you see the tradeoff and what that money could have funded instead.

Check out the Cost of Deportations Calculator →

New legislation would boost the overtime pay premium and benefit 13.4 million workers

Newly proposed legislation in Congress would provide double wages for overtime and benefit more than 13 million workers, according to our analysis.

The Double Wage for Overtime Act is a straightforward opportunity for lawmakers to tackle continued affordability concerns.

Latest Research

Wages are lower in “right-to-work” states: These states have lower unionization rates and more anti-worker policies

September 1, 2026 By Elise Gould and Emma Cohn Report
Everything you need to know about anti-union “right-to-work” laws

September 1, 2026 By Jennifer Sherer, Nina Mast, Elise Gould, and Emma Cohn Report
The teacher pay penalty remained high in 2025: Teachers and students nationwide are still paying the price of decades of neglect

August 25, 2026 By Sylvia Allegretto Report
The case for tripling union membership: How rebuilding union power would strengthen workers, the economy, and our democracy

July 15, 2026 By Heidi Shierholz, Celine McNicholas, Josh Bivens, Jennifer Sherer, Ben Zipperer, and Margaret Poydock Report
Sectoral bargaining FAQ: Collective bargaining, sectoral wage and standards boards, and worker power

July 14, 2026 By Jennifer Sherer and Celine McNicholas Report

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EPI in the news

Are SWFL schools doing enough to keep good teachers?

Another major reason is teacher pay. The average teacher salary in the United States was $74,495 in 2024-25. On average, teachers earned 73.1 cents per dollar compared with professionals with similar experience and education in 2024, according to a study from the Economic Policy Institute. Back in 1996, that number was at 93.9 cents.

Gulfshore Business | September 1, 2026
Opinion – Why we should care about what’s happening with Donald and Natalie

In his first year since returning to power — even before his reckless decision to go to war against Iran had hiked gas prices and economic uncertainty —Trump had “actively made life less affordable for working people,” according to the Economic Policy Institute.

The Hill | September 1, 2026
Federal rollbacks strip protections from direct care workers, PHI brief says

A second DOL proposal would make it easier for employers to classify workers as independent contractors, a change the organization said is risky for home care workers, who already face a heightened chance of being misclassified. The Economic Policy Institute estimates misclassification costs a worker between $7,719 and $10,963 a year in lost wages, benefits and protections

McKnight’s Senior Living | September 1, 2026
Richard Stern and Josh Bivens on the Economy and Campaign 2026

Richard Stern and Josh Bivens talked about the how the U.S. economy and its impact on Americans could influence the 2026 midterm elections.

C-SPAN Washington Journal | September 1, 2026
Are SWFL schools doing enough to keep good teachers?

Another major reason is teacher pay. The average teacher salary in the United States was $74,495 in 2024-25. On average, teachers earned 73.1 cents per dollar compared with professionals with similar experience and education in 2024, according to a study from the Economic Policy Institute. Back in 1996, that number was at 93.9 cents.

Gulfshore Business | September 1, 2026
Opinion – Why we should care about what’s happening with Donald and Natalie

In his first year since returning to power — even before his reckless decision to go to war against Iran had hiked gas prices and economic uncertainty —Trump had “actively made life less affordable for working people,” according to the Economic Policy Institute.

The Hill | September 1, 2026
Federal rollbacks strip protections from direct care workers, PHI brief says

A second DOL proposal would make it easier for employers to classify workers as independent contractors, a change the organization said is risky for home care workers, who already face a heightened chance of being misclassified. The Economic Policy Institute estimates misclassification costs a worker between $7,719 and $10,963 a year in lost wages, benefits and protections

McKnight’s Senior Living | September 1, 2026

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Latest Research

Wages are lower in “right-to-work” states: These states have lower unionization rates and more anti-worker policies

Everything you need to know about anti-union “right-to-work” laws

The teacher pay penalty remained high in 2025: Teachers and students nationwide are still paying the price of decades of neglect

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

Blog

New legislation would boost the overtime pay premium and benefit 13.4 million workers: The Double Wage for Overtime Act extends worker protections

Affordability’s key ingredient is union power: Tripling union membership would raise wages, reduce inequality, and strengthen communities. Policymakers should take note.

U.S. economy lost 23,000 jobs in July as wage growth slowed

Thirty states have passed a version of the CROWN Act to ban hair discrimination: Continued action needed more than ever as Trump administration abandons equity

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.

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