Economic Policy Institute

EPI 2025

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Top publications of 2025

A peaceful holiday (reading) season to all!

10. The teacher pay penalty reached a record high in 2024

9. The House Republicans’ plan to cut Medicaid to pay for tax cuts for the rich would slash incomes for the bottom 40%

8. Executive order on closing the Department of Education

7. The federal minimum wage is officially a poverty wage

6. Trump’s deportation agenda will destroy millions of jobs

5. There will be pain

4. The impact of the Raise the Wage Act of 2025

3. No tax on overtime is another gimmick that would do more harm than good

2. ‘No tax on tips’ will harm more workers than it helps

1. Tariffs–Everything you need to know but were afraid to ask

EPI’s Top Tools

Ending ACA tax credits would impose high costs on Black Americans in 10 major metro areas

If Congress allows the enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits to expire, millions of working families will lose health care coverage and millions more will face sharply higher premiums.

A deeper story emerges when looking at who loses the most. New analysis finds that Black Americans in some of the nation’s largest metropolitan areas would face deep coverage losses and financial harm if credits expire.

It doesn’t have to be this way →

Over 8.3 million workers will benefit from minimum wage increases on January 1

Starting January 1, 19 states will increase their minimum wage floor. This will boost earnings for more than 8.3 million workers, with an additional $5 billion in pay due to the increases.

As concerns about rising prices and affordability dominate the news cycle, it is critical to recognize that “affordability” is a function of both prices and wages. And while prices are in most cases unlikely to decline significantly, policymakers can make decisions that boost wages for workers. Read more →

Federal layoffs trigger a sharp slowdown in job growth

Today the BLS released two months of payroll data and one month of household data.

⚠️ Mind the gap: it is the first gap in data on the unemployment rate in the history of the survey.

Also alarming is the significant rise in unemployment — 4.6%, up from 4.0% in January.

Read the full analysis →

Latest Research

Did Trump really fix NAFTA?: What USMCA failed to do and how to put workers first in North American trade

December 11, 2025 By Adam S. Hersh Report
Raising taxes on the ultrarich: A necessary first step to restore faith in American democracy and the public sector

November 17, 2025 By Josh Bivens Report
Trump’s assault on independent agencies endangers us all

October 22, 2025 By Lauren McFerran and Celine McNicholas Report
Better things come to those who wait: The importance of patience in diagnosing labor force participation rates and prescribing policy solutions

October 7, 2025 By Josh Bivens Report
The U.S.-Born labor force will shrink over the next decade: Achieving historically ‘normal’ GDP growth rates will be impossible, unless immigration flows are sustained

October 7, 2025 By Josh Bivens Report

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EPI in the news

Michigan farmworkers sue after new federal rule cuts wages by at least $4 an hour

Research shows farmworkers are paid much less, roughly 40%, than comparable workers outside of agriculture. And roughly one-fifth of farmworkers earn incomes below the poverty level, according to federal data.

MLive | December 19, 2025
MAGA’s Immigration and Pronatalist Goals Are at Odds

When deportations increase, the child-care workforce tends to decrease—which puts pressure on working families. Cites EPI research on deportations/child care workforce (paywall).

The Atlantic | December 19, 2025
22 States in or Near a Recession Right Now — and What It Means for Residents

According to data provided by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), collating Department of Labor submissions from individual states, unemployment insurance claims are significantly up in Washington, D.C., as well as in other states singled out by the Moody’s report.

GO Banking Rates | December 19, 2025
“Reeks of desperation”: Trump slams trans people early in national TV address

He then repeated racist statements, accusing undocumented immigrants of “invading” and “stealing” American jobs and housing. (Both claims are untrue, according to the Economic Policy Institute and PolitiFact).

LGBTQ Nation | December 19, 2025
Retirees Are Flocking to This Charming Upstate New York Region—Here’s Why
Sources:
1. Economic Policy Institute. “Family Budget Calculator.”
Investopedia | December 19, 2025
Ohio workers set for New Year’s pay bump as minimum wage rises to $11

The big picture: More than 8.3 million workers across the country 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.

Axios Cleveland | December 19, 2025
Tennesseans facing affordability crisis this Christmas

According to the Economic Policy Institute, a family of four needs almost $93,000 a year in Shelby County to afford bills, housing, food, childcare, transportation and healthcare.

FOX 13 Memphis | December 19, 2025

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Latest Research

Did Trump really fix NAFTA?: What USMCA failed to do and how to put workers first in North American trade

Raising taxes on the ultrarich: A necessary first step to restore faith in American democracy and the public sector

Trump’s assault on independent agencies endangers us all

Better things come to those who wait: The importance of patience in diagnosing labor force participation rates and prescribing policy solutions

The U.S.-Born labor force will shrink over the next decade: Achieving historically ‘normal’ GDP growth rates will be impossible, unless immigration flows are sustained

Blog

Ending ACA tax credits would impose high costs on Black Americans in 10 major metro areas: Over 170,000 losing health insurance, $740 million more in annual premiums, and more than 200 preventable deaths each year

Don’t be fooled—Senator Cassidy’s labor reform proposals are not pro-worker

Over 8.3 million workers will benefit from minimum wage increases on January 1: Nineteen states will raise their minimum wages. Here’s where.

Federal layoffs trigger a sharp slowdown in job growth: Unemployment rises to highest rate since 2021

The Department of Justice is making a mistake by suing Minneapolis Public Schools: The union contract protects all workers while ensuring that Black and brown educators can hold on to good jobs

Trump’s deportation plans threaten 400,000 direct care jobs: Older adults and people with disabilities could lose vital in-home support

Should high earners support scrapping Social Security’s cap on taxable earnings?

EPI in the news

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