EPI in the news

• Structured Service Programs Are ‘Career Shelters’ in a Stormy Job Market

  “We’ve seen job growth slow measurably,” confirms Elise Gould, senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), whose research areas include jobs and wages. “The hires rate is [still] very weak. I would actually say it’s depressed,” she adds, noting that the unemployment rate — particularly among young people — has risen steadily over the past couple of years.Put simply? “If people are trying to get a job, it’s harder,” says Gould. 

  Indeed.com | March 4, 2026
• 3 AI Skills To Learn Before You’re Passed Over For Your Next Job

  In significant news for gig workers, the Labor Department has proposed a rule that would make it easier for companies to classify workers as independent contractors, the Wall Street Journal reported. The proposal drew swift backlash from worker advocates and Democrats, who warn it could leave more people ineligible for minimum wage and overtime protections. “Employers will take advantage of anything that makes it easier to classify workers as independent contractors,” said Samantha Sanders of the Economic Policy Institute.

  Forbes | March 4, 2026
• Lynchburg transit board to vote on suspending Sunday bus routes at upcoming meeting

  GLTC isn’t alone in facing the challenges of bus driver shortages. Nationwide, the number of transit and intercity bus drivers decreased about 8.5% from 2020 to 2024, from about 163,000 drivers to 149,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ employment data. School systems have encountered a similar shortage, tracking a 9.5% decrease in bus drivers from 2019 to 2025, according to the Economic Policy Institute. 

  Cardinal News (Virginia) | March 4, 2026
• Where Black Women Face the Biggest Economic Gaps in U.S. Cities

  The revival story of Detroit hasn’t fully translated into financial security for many Black women. The Economic Policy Institute noted that local Black household incomes still remain below the national Black median. Affordable housing helps, but neighborhood disinvestment and limited access to capital keep upward momentum from spreading widely.

  Far & Wide | March 4, 2026
• Worried You’re Being Pushed Out of Your Job? You’re Not Alone

  The challenges described in the AARP survey come as more older workers are seeking to stay employed and businesses should be more reliant on talent of all ages. Because Americans are having fewer children, the U.S.–born labor force is shrinking, according to studies from the Economic Policy Institute and others. On the other end, the people are living healthier, longer, which should provide opportunities for people 50-plus to continue their careers.

  AARP | March 4, 2026
• US Issues Advice to Millions on How To Claim ‘No Tax on Tips’ Deductions

  After “No Tax on Tips” was inserted in the OBBB, this filing season will give a chance to “millions of taxpayers” to deduct the tips paid to them in 2025 from their taxes, according to the IRS. But experts are split over the impact it would have on tipped workers. According to the nonpartisan think tank Economic Policy Institute (EPI), many tipped workers earn too little to qualify for the deduction, and lower-income workers benefit the least.

  Newsweek | March 4, 2026
• Trump says the U.S. is ‘richer and stronger than ever’—why some Americans don’t feel it

  While the government has some power to affect prices in specific sectors, policy changes can also impact wage growth, something the general population doesn’t typically consider, says Heidi Shierholz, president of the Economic Policy Institute, a non-partisan think tank.

  “The public sort of believes that inflation is a policymaker’s fault, and that’s actually almost never true,” she tells CNBC Make It. “The other side of that is the people, when they’re asked in surveys, they take personal responsibility for what happens to their wages, whether it’s good or bad.”

  Strengthening labor laws, increasing the minimum wage and improving social safety nets like unemployment insurance are a few ways the government could step in to address lagging wage growth, Shierholz says.

  “Minimum wage is not moving at the federal level anytime soon,” she says, adding that many states have recently raised or made plans to increase their minimums, however. Other actions in Congress like the Protecting the Right to Organize Act could help bolster protections for unionization efforts, although the act is not likely to pass anytime soon, Shierholz says.

  CNBC | March 4, 2026

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