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NYC Amazon workers vs. anti-union messaging

A Vice Motherboard article cites EPI research on unions—including the ways employers try to stifle union-organizing and the reasons unions are worth fighting for. Amazon workers in New York City are heard challenging anti-union messages in leaked audio published by Motherboard. Read EPI research on unions

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There’s a new Labor Law Enforcer in town

State and local labor enforcers are derailing worker misclassification and wage theft, enforcing paid sick leave local laws, fighting discrimination, and seeking pay for interns. “The New Labor Law Enforcers,” a monthly blog series by EPI senior fellow Terri Gerstein, provides snapshots of these worker heroes in action. Read the first post in the series

More on state and local labor law enforcement

EPI applauds House passage of Build Back Better Act

The Build Back Better Act makes historic investments in our economy that will make it fairer and more productive. The Senate must pass this critical legislation as soon as possible. Read the statement

More on Build Back Better

The Post Office at a crossroads

Politics and special interests, not economic constraints, are keeping the U.S. Postal Service from becoming a hub for affordable banking and other valuable community services. Read the blog post

Latest Research

Expanding overtime protection for teachers under the Fair Labor Standards Act

November 22, 2021 By John Schmitt, Heidi Shierholz, and Jori Kandra Report
EPI applauds House passage of the Build Back Better Act

November 19, 2021 By Heidi Shierholz Statement
Setting higher wages for child care and home health care workers is long overdue

November 18, 2021 By Asha Banerjee, Elise Gould, and Marokey Sawo Report
Moral policy = Good economics: Lifting up poor and working-class people—and our whole economy

October 27, 2021 By Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, Shailly Gupta Barnes, Josh Bivens, Krista Faries, Thea M. Lee, and Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis Report
Preempting progress in the heartland: State lawmakers in the Midwest prevent shared prosperity and racial, gender, and immigrant justice by interfering in local policymaking

October 14, 2021 By Julia Wolfe, Sebastian Martinez Hickey, Dave Kamper, and David Cooper Report
How to boost unemployment insurance as a macroeconomic stabilizer: Lessons from the 2020 pandemic programs

October 12, 2021 By Josh Bivens and Asha Banerjee Report
The Raise the Wage Act would support essential care workers: Nearly 2 million direct care workers who provide long-term services and supports would benefit from a $15 minimum wage in 2025

September 28, 2021 By Julia Wolfe and Ben Zipperer Report

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Blog

What to watch on jobs day: 2021 job growth on pace to exceed 6 million jobs by November

December 2, 2021 By Elise Gould Blog
State and local enforcers standing up to protect workers: Misclassifying workers ‘a pattern of deceit’

November 29, 2021 By Terri Gerstein Blog
Up to 390,000 federal contractors will benefit from a $15 minimum wage starting in January

November 22, 2021 By EPI Staff Blog
States are choosing employers over workers by using COVID relief funds to pay off unemployment insurance debt: Policymakers shouldn’t be afraid to increase taxes on employers to improve unemployment insurance

November 19, 2021 By Asha Banerjee, Sebastian Martinez Hickey, and Marokey Sawo Blog
The Post Office at a crossroads

November 16, 2021 By Monique Morrissey Blog
Fiscal policy and inflation: A look at the American Rescue Plan’s impact and what it means for the Build Back Better Act

November 12, 2021 By Josh Bivens Blog
Quits hit record high in Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey with little change in job openings and hires

November 12, 2021 By EPI Staff Blog

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EPI in the news

3 Major Wins for Workers in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Package

The United States urgently needs more high-quality jobs. While the tight labor market is pushing employers to increase wages across the private sector and unionized workers are increasingly leveraging their collective power to demand better work, these temporary pressures are not enough to overcome decades of wage stagnation and worsening work conditions. Recent analysis from the Economic Policy Institute finds that while net productivity grew by nearly 62 percent over the past four decades, average hourly pay for the typical worker increased by just 17.5 percent.

Center for American Progress | December 2, 2021
Equilibrium/Sustainability — Presented by Southern Company — Shipwreck sends waste thousands of miles

In the 10 most populous U.S. states, millions of low-wage workers are robbed of $8 billion a year by their employers — about a quarter of their wages — due to the failure to meet the minimum wages, according to a 2017 study by the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute.

The Hill | December 2, 2021
Thousands of jobs could be coming to Greensboro. What comes next and how soon

The projects could have a huge impact on the Triad. The Economic Policy Institute says for every 100 manufacturing jobs, about 740 other jobs get created indirectly. In total, the two projects could create about 30,000 jobs.

WFMY News 2 | December 2, 2021
What new steel and aluminum deals mean for American families

Steel and aluminum are critical components of the American economy. From cars and trucks to our appliances and beer cans, Americans depend on steel and aluminum for everyday items. Many Americans also rely on the steel and aluminum industries for good-paying jobs. The steel industry supports nearly 2 million Americans who, on average, earn 27% more than the median earnings for men and 58% more than the median for women, according to the Economic Policy Institute.

Pittsburgh Post Gazette | December 2, 2021
Make inflation a priority

Josh Bivens of the Economic Policy Institute calls the latest numbers “idiosyncratic sectoral shocks.”

The Day | December 2, 2021
Commentary: Support, respect teachers by hearing them – San Antonio Express-News

An Economic Policy Institute, or EPI, report from March 2019 — before the pandemic — found the teacher shortage was “large, growing, and worse … (paywall).

San Antonio News-Express | December 2, 2021
Did Nevada choose employers over workers by paying down UI debt?

Nevada used about $335 million in ARP money to pay off federal loans and replenish UI trust funds, according to data from the Economic Policy Institute.

Nevada Current | December 2, 2021

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Latest Research

Expanding overtime protection for teachers under the Fair Labor Standards Act

EPI applauds House passage of the Build Back Better Act

Setting higher wages for child care and home health care workers is long overdue

Moral policy = Good economics: Lifting up poor and working-class people—and our whole economy

Preempting progress in the heartland: State lawmakers in the Midwest prevent shared prosperity and racial, gender, and immigrant justice by interfering in local policymaking

How to boost unemployment insurance as a macroeconomic stabilizer: Lessons from the 2020 pandemic programs

The Raise the Wage Act would support essential care workers: Nearly 2 million direct care workers who provide long-term services and supports would benefit from a $15 minimum wage in 2025

Blog

What to watch on jobs day: 2021 job growth on pace to exceed 6 million jobs by November

State and local enforcers standing up to protect workers: Misclassifying workers ‘a pattern of deceit’

Up to 390,000 federal contractors will benefit from a $15 minimum wage starting in January

States are choosing employers over workers by using COVID relief funds to pay off unemployment insurance debt: Policymakers shouldn’t be afraid to increase taxes on employers to improve unemployment insurance

The Post Office at a crossroads

Fiscal policy and inflation: A look at the American Rescue Plan’s impact and what it means for the Build Back Better Act

Quits hit record high in Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey with little change in job openings and hires

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