Cornell University Press releases State of Working America 2004/2005
ILR Press, an imprint of Cornell University Press, released in January 2005 the latest edition of EPI's flagship publication, The State of Working America 2004/2005. Updated with new data released in the fall of 2004, this exhaustive reference work will be welcomed by anyone eager for a comprehensive portrait of the economic well-being of the nation. Order your copy of the final edition at the EPI online bookstore.

Order EPI studies and reports through the 2005 publications catalog
EPI's 2005 publications catalog is a complete listing of all of the Institute's 2004 publications as well as its extensive backlist of published reports. Bestselling books from 2004 cover education policy initiatives, the connection between taxes and economic development, and an analysis of teacher salaries.

Winter 2005 EPI Journal now available online
A cover story by EPI President Lawrence Mishel entitled The Economy Is a Values Issue headlines the winter 2005 edition of EPI's newsletter. The Journal also reports on EPI's role in the battle for a federal minimum wage increase, new research into offshoring, and the connection between education and social class.

Final verdict: Bush's "Jobs and Growth Plan" a resounding failure
The Bush Administration promised that the passage of its "Jobs and Growth" tax cut plan would result in 5.5 million new jobs in 18 months. That time has now come and gone, and the economy has not only failed to generate the extra jobs promised by the tax cuts, but it didn’t even create the jobs that were projected if the "Jobs and Growth Plan" hadn’t been adopted. For the final verdict on Bush’s tax cuts and their inability to create jobs, visit www.JobWatch.org.

Social Security Issue Guide
Check out EPI's online Issue Guide on Social Security, a downloadable resource with fact sheets, figures, and links to other important publications on the subject of Social Security. This Issue Guide has been newly updated to reflect information about the recent debate over Social Security privatization. Look for even more updates to this Issue Guide in early February.

• On December 14, 2004, EPI organized a conference call to analyze the Bush Administration's Economic Summit, which took place December 15-16. More than 50 journalists joined EPI Research Director Lee Price, EPI economist Bill Spriggs, Chairman of the Board of Directors for the National Academy of Social Insurance and Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Henry Aaron, and Kenneth Apfel of the LBJ School of Public Affairs to discuss Social Security privatization and other economic issues.
  
  
• EPI fellow and former Institute president Jeff Faux wrote an article on the mobilization of the Democratic Party for The American Prospect's December 2004 issue.
  
  
• Jared Bernstein—EPI senior economist and co-author of the 2004/2005 edition of The State of Working America—appeared on National Public Radio's "Fresh Air" on January 4 to discuss key findings of EPI's biennial publication.
  
  
• Class and Schools, by EPI research associate Richard Rothstein, was listed among the American School Board Journal's 2004 Notable Books.
  
  
• EPI President Lawrence Mishel was a co-editor of the recent volume published by the National Bureau of Economic Research that examined new forms of labor market institutions, titled Emerging Labor Market Institutions for the Twenty-First Century.
  
  
• On Tuesday, January 18, EPI economist Bill Spriggs participated in a special policy briefing sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and the Center for Policy Analysis and Research. The forum addressed the issue of Social Security privatization, with a specific focus on how changes in Social Security benefits can affect retirees, survivors, and the disabled, particularly African Americans.
  
  
• EPI economist Joydeep Roy presented findings at the annual American Economic Association's conference on January 7 from his recent research on the effect of school finance reform on resource equalization and academic performance.
  
  

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.