SEPTEMBER 7, 2012 
Today, the last 30 years, and the next decade
Today’s employment report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed workers dropping out of the labor force, a pace of job growth just enough to keep up with population growth, and a decline in hourly and weekly wages. Today’s numbers are important, but they are just a few data points.
The voluminous research in The State of Working America, 12th Edition, to be released on Tuesday, September 11th, proves that America’s workers could have and should have been doing better over the last 30 years. The book explains that the last decade was a lost decade of wage and income growth for most American families, and that the next decade is likely to be lost as well. The book analyzes the latest data on income, mobility, wages, jobs, wealth, and poverty and provides historical context for these analyses. The research persuasively and exhaustively shows that working families would have fared far better over the past 30 years if economic policies had not directed the fruits of economic growth to the wealthiest Americans.
Check back on Tuesday to learn more staggering facts about how America’s workers have fared
Visit the updated site on Tuesday, September 11th to read the entire book online, study its major findings compiled in reader-friendly fact sheets, and explore all the data and charts.
“EPI provides the most up-to-date information on the economy and the state of working America.”
–Donna Brazile, veteran political strategist and television commentator
“A truly comprehensive and useful book that provides a reality check on loose statements about U.S. labor markets. It should be cheered by all Americans who earn their living from work.”
—William Wolman, chief economist, CNBC’s Business Week