EPI in the news

• Minimum wage will rise in Colorado and Denver in 2026

  The big picture: For the first time, more workers in 2026 will live in states with a minimum wage of $15 an hour or higher than those still tied to the federal $7.25 floor, according to the progressive Economic Policy Institute.

  Axios Denver | December 18, 2025
• America’s Richest And Poorest States — Ranked By What Really Matters

  Minnesota stands out for its strong safety net, low unemployment, and consistent investment in education. Research from the Economic Policy Institute shows the state ranks high in worker protections and union density. These factors contribute to more evenly distributed prosperity across communities.

  Bolde | December 18, 2025
• Union Members Distribute Food for Federal Workers

  In that regard, the Charleston region may prove critical. The area is home to roughly 11,000 federal employees, the largest concentration of federal workers in South Carolina, according to the Economic Policy Institute.

  Labor Notes | December 18, 2025
• The minimum wage will rise in these 22 states in 2026

  Source: The National Employment Law Project, Economic Policy Institute, U.S. Department of Labor

  Hearst TV | December 18, 2025
• States where the minimum wage is going up in 2026

  The big picture: More than 8.3 million workers will see their pay go up on Jan. 1. That includes both those getting a direct increase and others indirectly affected when companies adjust wage ladders, according to an estimate from the progressive Economic Policy Institute.

  Stunning stat: For the first time, there will be more workers in states with a minimum wage of $15 an hour or higher than those with the federal minimum of $7.25.

  Axios | December 18, 2025
• Trump’s deportation aims will hurt in-home support for older adults, think tank says

  If the Trump administration hits its stated target of deporting 4 million people over four years, the direct care workforce could shrink by roughly 394,000 jobs — 274,000 positions held by immigrants and 120,000 held by United States-born workers — according to an analysis by the Economic Policy Institute.

  That kind of contraction would tighten the supply of frontline in-home care workers who help older adults and people with disabilities stay safe at home, the institute said in a blog post. This could potentially force more families to scramble for unpaid caregiving arrangements at the same time demand for home- and community-based support continues to rise.

  McKnight’s Senior Living | December 18, 2025
• “The system is unstable, not us”: How South Carolina evictions harm Black mothers and their families

  Nationally, since February, nearly 600,000 Black women have forcibly exited the labor force and a report released this year from the Economic Policy Institute found that unemployment rates among Black women in South Carolina this year increased to 7.5%—the highest unemployment rate since 2021. 

  Prism Reports | December 18, 2025

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