EPI in the news

• The growing cost of childcare across America, explained

  Childcare for one infant now costs more than public college tuition in most states, according to the Economic Policy Institute. Our National Consumer Unit teamed up with Hearst stations across the country to investigate what’s driving rising costs, how families are adapting and where parents may be able to find relief. From long waitlists to parents leaving the workforce, our team examines how the growing crisis is reshaping family life across America.

  Hearst Television | May 15, 2026
• Despite Trump’s White Savior Claims, Black People Did Worse Economically Under Him In 2025

  The Fed’s survey isn’t the only indicator that Black people are consistently taking a larger share of the brunt of Trump’s mishandling of the economy. According to the Economic Policy Institute, in the first quarter of 2026, “the Black unemployment rate (7.6%) was 1.2 percentage points higher than in the first three months of the second Trump administration,” and “Black men’s employment-population (EPOP) ratio decreased by 1.7 percentage points (from 60.5% to 58.8%) since the first quarter of 2025, with noncollege graduates driving this decline.”

  News One | May 15, 2026
• Judge won’t block new minimum wage for foreign farm workers

  There were more than 350,000 farmworkers in the U.S. under the H-2A visa program last year, according to the Economic Policy Institute, a left-leaning, pro-union think tank. Those temporary, seasonal, foreign-born workers are paid according to an “adverse effect wage rate,” a state- or region-specific minimum wage rate that only applies to H-2A visa holders, set by the Department of Labor. In theory, the adverse effect wage rate is not supposed to undercut the wages of domestic farm workers.

  Courthouse News Service | May 15, 2026
• Let’s appreciate teachers for more than one week

  I understand salary isn’t everything. But it’s a lot if a young teacher is coming out of college with a $75,000 to $100,000 loan debt. According to the Economic Policy Institute, the average starting salary for teachers is 73 cents for every dollar earned by other similarly degreed professions. This “teacher pay penalty” contributes to growing shortage of highly trained professionals willing to take a vow of poverty.   

  Bleeding Heartland (Iowa) | May 15, 2026
• Spanberger’s veto puts public sector workers’ union rights on hold

  The Economic Policy Institute calculated that Virginia’s public sector employees earn on average 26.7% less than their private sector counterparts with similar education and experience, the second-largest gap in the nation. The research also indicates that Virginia has the fourth-lowest public sector unionization rate in the country.

  El Tiempo Latino | May 15, 2026
• 2 South Carolina cities among best places to start career

  .. Economic Policy Institute. That has created a sense of urgency among younger workers to find places where they have a better chance of landing a job …

  The State | May 15, 2026
• US senators urge DOL to withdraw independent contractor rule proposal

  US Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colorado, along with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, and 19 of their Democratic colleagues wrote a letter to Acting Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling, urging him to withdraw a recently proposed rule that they say would allow employers to misclassify employees as independent contractors.

  …

  The senators’ letter cited research from the Economic Policy Institute showing that a typical truck driver could lose up to $23,300 annually in income and benefits as a result of being misclassified as an independent contractor.

  “A misclassified construction worker could lose more than $20,000 a year and a misclassified home health aide could lose more than $10,000 a year,” they added.

  Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA) | May 15, 2026

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