Analysis & Opinion

Tax policy as stimulus

EPI's John Irons addresses some attacks on Obama's tax policy. READ MORE

{REL[anop_author_1]ljGsa7rEREL} {REL[anop_author_2]z88L3FMfREL} May 18, 2009

Pain on Main Street is getting worse

Nearly one in six American workers is now unemployed or underemployed. Further increases in unemployment could push that to one in three by next year. READ MORE

{REL[anop_author_1]ljGsa7rEREL} {REL[anop_author_2]z88L3FMfREL} May 15, 2009

Health care by numbers

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{REL[anop_author_1]ljGsa7rEREL} {REL[anop_author_2]z88L3FMfREL} May 14, 2009

A public plan option as backup insurance for all Americans

Employer-sponsored health insurance is the backbone of the U.S. health insurance system, but it is not enough, especially in this time of high unemployment. A public plan is essential to guarantee health insurance for all Americans. READ MORE

{REL[anop_author_1]ljGsa7rEREL} {REL[anop_author_2]z88L3FMfREL} May 13, 2009

Enforcement needed in H-1B Visa laws

U.S. employers are supposed to exhaust the American labor pool before they can hire guest workers. But research into the H-1B visa program shows rampant abuse. READ MORE

{REL[anop_author_1]ljGsa7rEREL} {REL[anop_author_2]z88L3FMfREL} May 12, 2009

Light at the end of the tunnel ... for whom?

Recent economic history suggests that jobs could be slow to return after the recession and wages could stagnate. READ MORE

{REL[anop_author_1]ljGsa7rEREL} {REL[anop_author_2]z88L3FMfREL} May 11, 2009

Greater transparency in stress test results is a good start; more is needed

There is plenty to be skeptical about in the bank stress test results being released today, but one positive development should not be overlooked: The Treasury Department and Federal Reserve have made an unprecedented show of transparency in naming banks deemed to be undercapitalized. READ MORE

{REL[anop_author_1]ljGsa7rEREL} {REL[anop_author_2]z88L3FMfREL} May 7, 2009

Shrinking loopholes

Obama's tax proposal could make it harder for corporations to game the system. READ MORE

{REL[anop_author_1]ljGsa7rEREL} {REL[anop_author_2]z88L3FMfREL} May 7, 2009

How long until quitting time?

Many low-income workers retire when they are no longer healthy enough to work, or when they can no longer find work. Raising the retirement age could devastate their security. READ MORE

{REL[anop_author_1]ljGsa7rEREL} {REL[anop_author_2]z88L3FMfREL} May 7, 2009

Health Reform in the 21st Century: Employer Sponsored Insurance

Read testimony given by EPI's Elise Gould in a hearing before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means. READ MORE

{REL[anop_author_1]ljGsa7rEREL} {REL[anop_author_2]z88L3FMfREL} April 29, 2009

Gingrich is just plain wrong on EFCA

EPI Vice President, Ross Eisenbrey, rebuts Newt Gingrich's commentary about the Employee Free Choice Act. READ MORE

{REL[anop_author_1]ljGsa7rEREL} {REL[anop_author_2]z88L3FMfREL} April 28, 2009

UI Testimony to Ways and Means Committee

We can expect the unemployment rate to continue to rise for at least the next year, reaching 9% by summer, 9.5% for the fourth quarter of this year, and crossing into double-digits sometime early next year. With double-digit unemployment rates, we could expect the number of long-term unemployed workers to climb from its current level of 3.2 million to well over four million. The unemployment rate will likely average 9.5% for 2010, and remain elevated for years to come, continuing the hardship faced by America's working families. READ MORE

{REL[anop_author_1]ljGsa7rEREL} {REL[anop_author_2]z88L3FMfREL} April 23, 2009

Why this Earth Day is different than all others

This year's commemoration of Earth Day comes when policy makers are paying close attention to how they can promote a healthy and sustainable environment. During the first Earth Day 39 years ago, activists were focused on a range of concerns like pollution and the preservation of wildlife and their habitats. Today's Earth Day events, at least in the United States, are focusing on climate change, decreasing our reliance on (imported) fossil fuels, and interestingly, the macroeconomic benefits that can occur by investing in the environment. READ MORE

{REL[anop_author_1]ljGsa7rEREL} {REL[anop_author_2]z88L3FMfREL} April 22, 2009

A Tale of Two Taxpayers

Every tax season, conservatives complain that the wealthy are being weighed down by higher and higher tax bills. Policy analyst Ethan Pollack points out that unlike the average taxpayer, the top 1% have enjoyed a combination of sharp income growth, historically low tax rates, and a rising share of the country's total income, all of which suggests that high earners are easily able to pay their share. READ MORE

{REL[anop_author_1]ljGsa7rEREL} {REL[anop_author_2]z88L3FMfREL} April 16, 2009

More than four unemployed workers for every job opening

Since the start of the recession, 1.4 million job openings have disappeared. According to analysis by economist Heidi Shierholz, the latest data show there are over 4 unemployed workers for every job opening. READ MORE

{REL[anop_author_1]ljGsa7rEREL} {REL[anop_author_2]z88L3FMfREL} April 7, 2009

Buy American and the Recovery Program: Now What?

The federal government needs to embrace wholeheartedly the goal of creating good jobs in the United States. Adopting domestic sourcing requirements like those in the Buy American Act, along with strong enforcement and full transparency, will help strengthen its role as an engine of economic growth. READ MORE

{REL[anop_author_1]ljGsa7rEREL} {REL[anop_author_2]z88L3FMfREL} March 13, 2009

How Unions Can Help Restore the Middle Class

EPI research associate Paula Voos testified before Congress on the importance of passing the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA). READ MORE

{REL[anop_author_1]ljGsa7rEREL} {REL[anop_author_2]z88L3FMfREL} March 10, 2009

Corporate group tries, fails to discredit economic argument

A statement by 40 prominent economists in support of the Employee Free Choice Act, which appeared in the Washington Post Feb. 25, drew an attack from the HR Policy Association, a trade association of large corporations which opposes the reform. EPI President Larry Mishel responds. READ MORE

{REL[anop_author_1]ljGsa7rEREL} {REL[anop_author_2]z88L3FMfREL} February 28, 2009

President Obama’s budget: An honest path to sustainability

Despite poor economic conditions, the president's blueprint released this morning maps a path toward a sustainable deficit while setting aside money to meet core economic challenges. READ MORE

{REL[anop_author_1]ljGsa7rEREL} {REL[anop_author_2]z88L3FMfREL} February 26, 2009

What’s needed is health care reform, not an entitlements commission

Bypassing Congressional deliberations through the creation of an entitlements commission would be undemocratic and unnecessary. The real problem is spiraling health care costs. READ MORE

{REL[anop_author_1]ljGsa7rEREL} {REL[anop_author_2]z88L3FMfREL} February 20, 2009