Shifting blame for manufacturing job loss
Although changing demand patterns and rapid productivity growth are the two factors most often blamed for the severe loss of jobs in the manufacturing industry, in EPI's latest Briefing Paper, Shifting the Blame for Manufacturing Job Loss, EPI economist Josh Bivens finds that trade imbalances have accounted for a significant portion of the decline in manufacturing employment.

Education articles archived online
EPI has launched a searchable electronic archive of more than 120 New York Times education columns by EPI research associate Richard Rothstein. These pieces, originally appearing between 1999 and 2003 under the title "Lessons," can now be accessed via EPI's online education area.

EPI researchers recognized for outstanding achievement
EPI senior economist Jared Bernstein's recent article "Exploring low-wage labor with the National Compensation Survey," was singled out for praise by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Lawrence R. Klein Fund. Co-authored with BLS economist Maury Gittleman, the piece appeared in the Monthly Labor Review.

EPI research associate Sean Corcoran was the 2004 recipient of the American Education Finance Association's Jean Flanigan Outstanding Dissertation Award. A Ph.D. graduate of the University of Maryland, Corcoran's dissertation examined teacher quality and school finance issues.  

• On April 2, three EPI economists—senior economist Jared Bernstein, President Lawrence Mishel, and Research Director Lee Price—held a conference call with nearly 20 journalists to discuss why this business cycle has been marked by weak jobs and wage income but strong profits and productivity.

• On April 20, the Labor Department formally approved changes in overtime pay, prompting nearly 25 media outlets—from the Wall Street Journal to National Public Radio—to quote or reference EPI in its coverage of the issue.

• A commentary by EPI Vice President Ross Eisenbrey on the Labor Department's changes on overtime rules appeared in the Chicago Tribune on March 21.

• Also on March 21, the Detroit News ran an op-ed by economist Elise Gould on the differences between the two major surveys that gauge unemployment.

• On April 1, the Arizona Daily Star published an op-ed by senior economist Jared Bernstein and Deputy Director of Policy Amy Chasanov on the misguided assumption that more education is the answer to U.S. labor market problems.

Education book release and press conference
National Press Club
May 13 at 10 a.m.
Contact Stephaan Harris at sharris@epinet.org for more information

EPI is hosting a press event in coordination with the release of its new education book, Class and Schools: Using Social, Economic, and Educational Reform to Close the Black-White Achievement Gap. Author Richard Rothstein, EPI research associate and visiting professor at Columbia University's Teachers College, will discuss his findings that the black-white achievement gap cannot be blamed solely on schools but is also the result of social class differences.

The mission of the Economic Policy Institute is to provide high-quality research and education in order to promote a prosperous, fair, and sustainable economy. The Institute stresses real world analysis and a concern for the living standards of working people, and it makes its findings accessible to the general public, the media, and policy makers.

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