EPI in the news

• Public employee union lands big wage increases

  Many analyses, including from the Economic Policy Institute, have found workers in labor unions get paid better than those outside of unions.

  Mail Tribune | July 18, 2019
• As the economy thrives, why is black employment lagging behind?

  According to the Economic Policy Institute,  unemployment among African Americans in Georgia is at 5.7%.  Hispanic and white unemployment rates are below 3%.

  GPB Radio News | July 18, 2019
• Facebook Libra cryptocurrency hearing highlights social network’s trust problems

  Earlier this month, the Economic Policy Institute, US PIRG and other nonprofits, as well as five Democratic lawmakers, sent the company two separate letters asking Facebook to pause its plans to develop a new cryptocurrency. Last week, President Donald Trump criticized Facebook’s cryptocurrency plans, remarking that it’ll have “little standing or dependability.” Jerome Powell, chairman of the Federal Reserve, also said last week he had concerns about how the social network’s cryptocurrency would affect financial stability and what consumer protections would be in place.

  CNET | July 18, 2019
• Airbnb, under attack in New Jersey, seeks a new ally: Voters

  James Solomon, a councilman who represents much of downtown Jersey City, pointed to a national study from the Economic Policy Institute, a left-leaning group, that analyzed Airbnb’s effect on local housing costs and found the beneficiaries are disproportionately white and high-wealth households.

  The New York Times | July 18, 2019
• Counties with higher lynching rates have low voter turnout today, SC researcher finds

  Research by Clemson University economic historian Jhacova Williams shows black Southerners who live in counties where more lynchings occurred in the past are less likely to register to vote today.

  “It’s not due to education levels or low earnings or incarceration rates or voter apathy because of Republican Party dominance in these Southern states,” Williams said, citing factors commonly used to explain lower voter participation rates among African Americans in the South.

  The Post and Courier Palmetto | July 18, 2019
• Opinion

  But we need to ensure that those gains aren’t diluted by competition from low-wage states. The federal minimum wage hasn’t been raised in a decade. Adjusting for inflation, the buying power of the minimum wage is about 29 percent less than it was 50 years ago, according to the Economic Policy Institute.

  NorthJersey.com | July 18, 2019
• OPINIONS: Paying servers lower than minimum wage because of tips is not fair

  One of the biggest issues of relying on tips to pay servers is that their tips and hours are often not properly monitored. The Economic Policy Institute says that many restaurants are in violation of wage and hour requirements, simply because they are ignoring it or not keeping up with their servers’ average tip-earnings. Restaurant workers are the most likely to experience these types of violations compared to other industries.

  Tommie Media | July 18, 2019

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