EPI in the news

• I’m Raising a Kid on Less Than $100,000: Here’s My Monthly Budget

  According to the Economic Policy Institute, the average cost for center-based infant care in the U.S. reached $12,350 annually in 2024, making these budget-friendly strategies essential.

  GO Banking Rates | July 14, 2025
• ‘The world’s most precious cargo’: How FCPS is navigating a school bus driver shortage

  According to the Economic Policy Institute, a nonprofit think tank, there were 12.2% fewer K-12 school bus drivers across the nation in 2024 than in 2019.

  In addition, weekly pay for bus drivers since 2019 have decreased 2.8% nationally after you adjust for inflation, according to the same study.

  The Frederick News-Post | July 14, 2025
• Crackdowns often overlook employers; Law against hiring undocumented migrants rarely enforced by U.S.

  U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement may conduct audits of employees’ I-9 forms – the federal employment authorization documents every U.S. worker must fill out. Employers are given time to make corrections if errors are found. But if problems persist, or investigators find a pattern of violations, fines from ICE can range from $288 to $28,619 per worker, depending on the type and severity of the violation, according to the Economic Policy Institute.

  “When employers are punished, the punishment and fines levied on employers are so minimal that they are unlikely to be effective at deterring illegal conduct, and the harshest penalties are rare because the legal standard for them is difficult to prove and they are reserved for repeat violators,” a report from the Economic Policy Institute said.

  Argus Leader | July 14, 2025
• Leadership wanting, money missing and an anniversary

  The DOE, now apparently a federal agency in name only, said it was pausing the disbursements for further review even though Congress passed and the president signed the bill in March. Funds were to be allocated on July 1.

  According to the Economic Policy Institute, money in “targeted districts” would be used to support “before and after school programs ($1.4 billion), English language learning ($890 million), migrant education ($375 million), academic enrichment ($1.3 billion) and professional development of staff and teachers ($2.2 billion).”

  Nebraska Examiner | July 14, 2025
• Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Pay Equity And The Value Of Black Women’s Labor

  According to the Economic Policy Institute, the COVID-19 pandemic made this disparity worse because Black women experienced the highest rates of job loss …[Paywall].

  Forbes | July 14, 2025
• DOGE sprouts in red states, as governors embrace the cost-cutter brand and make it their own

  At least 26 states have initiated DOGE-style efforts of varying kinds, according to the Economic Policy Institute based in Washington, D.C.

  …

  Analysts at the pro-labor Economic Policy Institute say that governors and lawmakers, primarily in the South and Midwest, are using DOGE to breathe new life into long-term agendas to consolidate power away from state agencies and civil servants, dismantle public services and benefit insiders and privatization advocates.

  “It’s not actually about cutting costs because of some fiscal responsibility,” EPI analyst Nina Mast said.

  Associated Press | July 14, 2025
• Trump’s deportations could cost 6M jobs, report finds

  President Donald Trump’s deportation plans could cost nearly 6 million jobs, according to an analysis released Thursday.

  If successful, Trump’s goal of deporting 4 million people over four years will cost jobs held by both immigrants and U.S.-born workers, according to the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute.

  EPI’s analysis found California, Florida, New York and Texas will have the highest number of job losses, because of larger immigrant populations in those states.

  Stateline | July 14, 2025

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