Media clips

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• Why are way more women suddenly working in construction?

  “Employers maybe have to search a little harder when the labor market gets tighter in the expansionary times,” said Elise Gould, a senior economist at the nonprofit Economic Policy Institute, “and then exercise less discretion — perhaps less discrimination — in who they’re hiring.”

  The Washington Post November 18, 2022
• Democrats Can Defeat GOP Extremism by ‘Fighting for Working People’: Warren

  “The 2022 midterms prove that Democrats can beat Republican extremism by fighting for working people and making our democratic values clear,” Warren (D-Mass.) said at EconCon Presents, a meeting co-hosted by Demos Action, Economic Policy Institute Action, Economic Security Project Action, Groundwork Action, Omidyar Network, and Roosevelt Forward.

  Common Dreams November 18, 2022
• November 18, 2022
  November 18, 2022
• The economic impact of the pandemic on women

  Features Elise discussing women in the work force.

  WBUR On Point November 17, 2022
• Gig companies pledge to help end hunger in the U.S. Some of their workers can’t afford the food they deliver.

  There is evidence that gig workers are more likely than other service-sector workers to experience hunger firsthand. In spring 2020, nearly one in five (19%) gig workers went hungry, compared to 14% of other service-sector workers, according to a national study by the Economic Policy Institute, a left-leaning think tank. Twice the rate of gig workers (30%) as W-2 employees in the service sector (15%) relied on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — the public benefit once known as food stamps — within a month of the survey, according to the study. (W-2 refers to the tax form employees use to report their income.)

  MarketWatch November 10, 2022
• What’s next for John Fetterman?

  “In terms of things that would lower prices on store shelves, it’s pretty tough to act that quickly,” Josh Bivens, research director of the liberal think tank Economic Policy Institute, told the Inquirer. This sentiment was echoed by Alex Arnon, the associate director of policy analysis at the Penn Wharton Budget Model, who told the Inquirer, “Other than maybe very targeted tax increases, which I think there’s very little appetite for, there’s not a lot that Congress can do at this point.”

  The Week November 10, 2022
• Voters approve higher minimum wage in Nebraska and Washington, D.C. Votes still being tallied in Nevada

  Votes for the Minimum Wage Amendment in Nevada are still being tallied. But if it is approved, the minimum wage would rise to $12 per hour by 2024, up from $9.50 or $10.50 per hour, depending on health insurance benefits. Ben Zipperer, an economist at the Economic Policy Institute, said these results align with past state and local efforts, noting that raising the minimum wage is “an extremely popular policy initiative.”

  CNBC November 10, 2022
• CNN This Morning Weekend

  Features Heidi discussing the latest jobs report.

  CNN November 10, 2022
• Bernie Sanders warns ‘future of this country’ at stake in final campaign blitz before midterms

  While the nation’s electorate ranks the state of the economy as a major concern heading into Election Day, the message from Senator Sanders – primed on wealth inequality, women’s rights and the climate crisis – has framed inflation as a consequence of corporate greed. An analysis from the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute found that fatter profit margins have accounted for roughly 54 per cent of inflation.

  The Independent (via Yahoo! News) November 10, 2022
• I Bought a House Five Months Ago. I Already Deeply Regret It.

  You’re absolutely right. It’s unfair that schools expect teachers to buy the supplies to do their job when other employers would cover these costs. Moreover, because of inequitable school funding, the teachers with the lowest salaries are the most likely to need to pay for supplies. An Economic Policy Institute survey found that teachers spend an average of $459 out-of-pocket on classroom supplies.

  Slate November 10, 2022
• Amidst organizing surge, Wisconsin unions still face an uphill climb

  Many employers automatically push back against employees’ organizing efforts, hiring law firms specializing in “union avoidance” to seek every avenue to dissuade workers, change election parameters or contest voting results. U.S. employers spend $340 million each year on such efforts, according to the Economic Policy Institute, a pro-labor think tank.

  The Cap Times November 10, 2022
• Herman Daly: A Economist Who Future Economists — and Societies — Will Dare Not Ignore

  A point of reference: Last year, the Economic Policy Institute reports, American corporate CEOs averaged 399 times the pay of our nation’s typical workers.

  Counter Punch November 10, 2022
• An Economist’s Chart Goes Viral: Shows Main Source of Inflation

  On April 21 Josh Bivens posted a titillating analysis on the Working Economics Blog. Bivens has a Ph.D. in Economics from the New School for Social Research and is the Director of Research at the Economic Policy Institute. The blog post was titled: “Corporate profits have contributed disproportionately to inflation. How should policymakers respond?”

  Counter Punch November 10, 2022
• Agency battling wage theft in California is too short-staffed to do its job

  California stands out among states for its efforts and policies to tackle wage theft given its union density, number of worker centers and public dollars committed to combating the problem, said David Cooper, a researcher who has studied wage theft at the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute, which is based in Washington, D.C.

  Union members accounted for 15.9% of wage and salary workers in California, compared to 10.3% nationally. That higher than average membership helps workers identify wage theft, Cooper said.

  “California has far more immigrants than a lot of other places, and we know that immigrants, and people of color generally, tend to more likely be victims of wage theft,” said Cooper, who is director of the institute’s Economic Analysis and Research Network, which coordinates nearly 60 state and local research and advocacy efforts nationally. 

  “Immigrants who are either undocumented, or may have family who are undocumented, are not going to speak up as vocally if their rights are being violated.”

  Cooper said the thousands of wage theft claims filed in California each year are likely an undercount of stolen pay cases.

  Cal Matters November 10, 2022
• By the numbers: Data drives national economist’s advocacy

  That emphasis remained as Jones flourished in her career. She became an economist at the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, an analyst at the Economic Policy Institute, policy and research director at The Hub Project, and managing director for policy and research at Groundwork Collaborative before joining the Department of Labor. Her research has been cited in national media including The Economist, The Washington Post, The Review of Black Political Economy, The New Yorker, and Harper’s.

  Illinois State University November 10, 2022
• Colorado gig drivers make an average of just $5.49 an hour, study finds

  The study marks the latest attempt to quantify wages for gig workers, which can vary widely due to the range of ways to calculate costs, time and miles spent on the job. A 2018 study from the Economic Policy Institute showed Uber drivers make an average of $9.21 an hour, while another study that year found Uber and Lyft drivers made a median of $8.55 each hour before taxes.

  The Guardian November 10, 2022
• 3 Industries Affected By Racial Disparity And How It’s Being Addressed

  The coronavirus pandemic offered a stark reminder that these industries’ disproportionately nonwhite workforces remain vulnerable. An analysis by the Economic Policy Institute found that Black workers were much more likely to work in “frontline” roles within these sectors, and thus at higher risk of Covid-19 infection.

  Forbes November 10, 2022
• Nebraska Voters Approve $15 Minimum Wage

  The Economic Policy Institute estimated that the Nebraska measure would affect nearly 150,000 low-wage workers, or about 17% of the state’s workforce. The tight labor market and low unemployment during the pandemic have likely blunted the impact of such an increase, since many employers have already been forced to raise their wages in order to attract employees.

   
  Huffpost November 10, 2022
• Report: Big Shipping Companies’ Profits Increased 30,000 Percent Amid Inflation

  The report is drawn from testimony and evidence from left-leaning organizations like the Economic Policy Institute and the Roosevelt Institute, which have indeed found that corporations are in large part responsible for inflation.

  Truthout November 10, 2022
• Credit card debt is back up to pre-pandemic levels, says Equifax report

  That’s likely in part because many people still have more savings than they did before the pandemic, said Josh Bivens at the Economic Policy Institute. 

  “And plus, we still have a very strong job market, I think inflation’s convinced people this is a terrible economy for people,” he said.

  But, he said, it’s not — unemployment is low and there are still a lot of jobs to be found. 

  Marketplace November 10, 2022
• Why is the Democratic economic message such a hard sell?

  Please use the sharing tools found via the share button at the top or side of articles. Copying articles to share with others is a breach of FT.com T&Cs and Copyright Policy. Email licensing@ft.com to buy additional rights. Subscribers may share up to 10 or 20 articles per month using the gift article service. More information can be found here.
  https://www.ft.com/content/07d5c256-0d3a-400b-84f2-0fcc449e1e0d

  Inflation was always going to go up for a certain period of time after nearly half a century of easy money and outsourcing came to an end. Biden’s fiscal spending has little to do with the larger paradigm shift we are going through. And yet, Democrats are taking the heat for inflation, which is making it difficult for them to message all their gains. So, what do to? I’d suggest Democrats focus more on how they, not Republicans, are trying to rein in corporations. Josh Bivens, director of research for the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute, posted a blog that everyone should have a look at. As he puts it:

  Financial Times November 10, 2022
• Bernie Sanders hits the campaign trail with days left before US midterms

  In an attempt to turn the inflation conversation on its head, Sanders has framed the problem as a result of corporate greed, and there is some evidence to support his theory. One analysis released in April by the Economic Policy Institute, a left-leaning thinktank, concluded that about 54% of inflation could be attributed to increased corporate profits.

  The Guardian November 10, 2022
• Trader Joe’s accused of bad faith bargaining by union

  Unfair labor practice charges against employers can be common when unionization efforts are underway, with the prevalence of the charges generally increasing as the size of the bargaining unit gets larger, according to the Economic Policy Institute. For a bargaining unit representing more than 60 employees, more than half (54.4%) of employers have been charged with violating federal law, according to an analysis by the independent, nonprofit think tank. 

  Employers have a range of legal and illegal tactics to discourage unionization, and there’s a growing trend of employers hiring “union avoidance” consultants, the Economic Policy Institute noted. 

  Grocery Dive November 10, 2022
• House Analysis Confirms Corporations Use ‘Cover of Inflation to Raise Prices Excessively’

  Specifically, the document says that “studies by the Economic Policy Institute and Roosevelt Institute demonstrate that profits contributed more to price growth in the United States from mid-2020 through the end of 2021 than at any other point from 1979 to the present—and continue to contribute markedly today. This is especially true in highly concentrated industries.”

  Common Dreams November 10, 2022
• Minnesota companies have raised prices, but key margins remain below pre-pandemic times

  The Economic Policy Institute, a left-leaning think tank in Washington, in April called for an temporary tax on excess corporate profits. Porter, the California congresswoman, often cites an analysis by the institute that says 54 cents of every $1 in price increases is due to profit padding rather than higher labor or other input costs.

  Minnesota Star Tribune November 10, 2022
• Black Unemployment 84% Higher Than White

  The reasons black Americans have higher jobless rates than white people fall into several categories. The Economic Policy Institute reports that among the primary reasons are “racism” and single adult households where one person tries to care for children and hold a full-time job simultaneously.

  24/7 Wall St. November 10, 2022
• Disney, other tourism workers need $18 minimum wage, report says

  The union spoke with employees and used tools such as MIT’s Living Wage Calculator and the Economic Policy Institute’s Family Budget Calculator to arrive at the $18 figure, though it notes “most workers need to make much more than that to cover their necessities.”

  Orlando Sentinel November 10, 2022
• Why Uber and Hillary Clinton care about a minimum wage vote in Portland, Maine

  “You’re basically baking those kinds of discrimination into people’s wages,” said Elise Gould, senior economist at the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute.

  Politico November 10, 2022
• OEA president links test scores with teacher pay

  To close the gap, the state must increase teacher pay, Bishop said, referencing an Economic Policy Institute study that showed teachers were paid more than 30% less than other college graduates.

  The Norman Transcript November 10, 2022
• US perspectives on China, Asia vary sharply between ‘elites’ and general public, survey finds

  In 2020, the Washington-based Economic Policy Institute released a report detailing how the US had lost 3.7 million jobs due to a trade imbalance with China since 2001.

  South China Morning Post November 10, 2022