The Economic Policy Institute has shared data that supports these concerns. Their research shows that a family of four in the Bronx needs nearly $135,000 a year to live comfortably. In Manhattan, that number jumps to over $167,000. Without a big change, researchers project that about 1.68 million workers in the city will still be earning less than $30 an hour by 2030.
New York Weekly
March 16, 2026
Washington, D.C., recorded the highest unemployment rate in the nation in 2025, a troubling sign of a weakening labor market that researchers say hit Black workers hardest across the country.
A new annual analysis of state unemployment rates by race and ethnicity from the Economic Policy Institute found that the District posted an average unemployment rate of 5.9% last year, the highest among all states and jurisdictions. South Dakota recorded the lowest rate at 1.9%.
The Washington Informer
March 16, 2026
Analysis by nonprofit United Way of Connecticut estimated a 2023 “survival” budget of $126,000 for a family of four, with roughly 40 percent of households unable to cover those costs. The Urban Institute estimated a family of four in the Northeast needed about $151,100 in 2022 to be economically secure, and the Economic Policy Institute’s Family Budget Calculator placed 2023 thresholds for two adults with two children between $131,189 in Windham County and $163,928 in Fairfield County.
Newsweek
March 16, 2026
A new report from the Economic Policy Institute is detailing the cost of raising a family in Olmsted County.
The report shows the cost of raising a family in our area has now outpaced the Twin Cities.
KAAL-TV (Minnesota)
March 16, 2026
Bouncing around from daycare to summer camps to relatives’ houses can easily add up. According to the Economic Policy Institute, the average annual cost of full-time child care in Florida ranges from $9,548 to $13,021, depending on the children’s ages.
Naples Daily News
March 16, 2026
The good news is that the number of workers represented by a union rose last year by 463,000 workers from 2024, according to the Economic Policy Institute …[paywall].
The New Republic
March 16, 2026
According to the Economic Policy Institute, New York (the most expensive city in the country) is currently outpaced and outpaid by several cities in Washington (Burien’s $21.16, Seattle’s $21.30, and Renton’s $21.50) and California (San Francisco’s $19.18, Mountain View’s $19.70, and West Hollywood’s $20.25) with lower costs of living.
Brooklyn Magazine
March 16, 2026
…the most affordable county in New York State. According to the Economic Policy Institute’s comparisons of average living costs, however,…[paywall].
Long Island Press
March 16, 2026
A press release from the Washington Senate Democrats cited a study from the Economic Policy Institute that found domestic workers nationally earn 25% less on average than other service workers, and over half report harassment or mistreatment at work.
NBC Right Now (Yakima Washington)
March 16, 2026
And let’s talk about the teachers already in the trenches. They’re leaving in droves, and it’s not because they suddenly discovered a passion for interpretive dance. According to the Economic Policy Institute, teachers earn about 27 percent less than their college-educated peers. That’s right, folks – after years of study, the reward for shaping young minds is a paycheck that feels more like a participation trophy than a salary.
The Chattanoogan
March 16, 2026