EPI in the news

• Hallie Jackson NOW – April 28

  Features interview with Elise Gould on Deloitte/Zoom cutting parental leave benefits. 

  NBC News NOW | April 29, 2026
• Childcare Isn’t Affordable In Any State: Map Shows Worst Impacted Areas

  Childcare has become unaffordable for families across nearly the entire United States, according to state‑by‑state data from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) cited in a recent analysis by Realtor.com.

  The findings show that not one single U.S. state meets the federal affordability benchmark for childcare, placing widespread financial strain on households with young children regardless of where they live.

  Newsweek | April 29, 2026
• A New Bill Would Raise the Federal Minimum Wage To $25–Here’s What To Know

  Article sources:

  1. Economic Policy Institute. “Minimum Wage Tracker.”
  2. Economic Policy Institute. “Over 8.3 Million Workers Will Benefit From Minimum Wage Increases on January 1.”
  Investopedia | April 29, 2026
• Republican lawmakers urge Trump administration to ban CAIR from receiving grants

  Other studies show that immigrants, most of whom assimilate to the U.S., benefit the national economy and have little effect on crime rates. Researchers with the Economic Policy Institute, a think tank on economic inequality, determined in a 2025 review that immigration grows the demand for goods and services.

  “Immigration does not make the job of ensuring that there is enough demand to keep the available labor supply fully employed much more difficult because new immigrants who join the labor force also create growth in demand, which, in turn, helps create jobs,” the researchers said. “In other words, immigrants are potential workers, but they are also consumers who increase the demand for goods and services, expanding the overall economy.”

  Sinclair Broadcast Group | April 29, 2026
• American workers ‘can’t afford to wait’ on federal AI legislation, groups say

  The letter was spearheaded by the progressive Economic Policy Institute, We Build Progress, the AFL-CIO Tech Institute and Workshop. 

  In it, the groups noted that nearly two years have passed since the Bipartisan Senate AI Working Group released its roadmap for AI policy, “but the Senate has yet to consider comprehensive legislation.”

  The groups called on the House Democratic Commission on AI and the Innovation Economy, which was formed in December, to ensure that federal reforms “center the impacts of AI on workers.”

  Leaders from the Senate and House AI groups could not immediately be reached for comment before press time. 

  HR Dive | April 29, 2026
• Minimum wage, housing affordability, data center crackdown among NC Democrats’ 2026 priorities

  There are about 5 million people employed in North Carolina. On Monday Rep. Tim Longest, D-Wake, cited research from the pro-labor think tank Economic Policy Institute that found 1.2 million of them make less than $15 an hour.

  WRAL.com | April 29, 2026
• The Seven-Figure Pay Gap: White-Collar Professionals Leave Millions on the Table

  The Economic Policy Institute’s Productivity-Pay Tracker, updated through the third quarter of 2025, captures the split in hard terms. Economy-wide net productivity reached an index value of 412.3, meaning output per hour grew 312% since 1948. Typical worker compensation hit just 253.6, reflecting growth of only 154%. The 57-point divergence represents income that flowed to executives and capital owners rather than the professionals who produced it.

  Tech Times | April 29, 2026

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