Heidi Shierholz is the President of the Economic Policy Institute and the former chief economist of the U.S. Department of Labor, and she joins me now.
CNN International
September 8, 2025
Raising two children from infancy through college remains one of the costliest undertakings. Using Economic Policy Institute data, Investopedia calculates $650,000 to cover childcare, transportation, meals, and other expenses, with college costs exceeding $230,000 for two children.
Newsweek
September 8, 2025
According to an analysis of BLS data by the nonprofit Economic Policy Institute, increases in nominal average hourly earnings have continued a downward slide that began in 2022.
New Republic
September 8, 2025
August’s payroll losses were particularly acute in professional and business services, the federal government and wholesale trade. But weakness was evident across sectors. “There have also been sustained losses over recent months in manufacturing, construction and mining, an indication that Trump’s blue-collar renaissance is clearly not happening,” Elise Gould, senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute, posted on Bluesky.
Observer
September 8, 2025
“Trump’s blue-collar renaissance is clearly not happening,” Elise Gould, senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute, wrote in a commentary.
Investopedia
September 8, 2025
Elise Gould, the director of health policy research at the Economic Policy Institute, similarly noted that “there have… been sustained losses over recent months in manufacturing, construction, and mining,” in recent months, which she said was “an indication that Trump’s blue-collar renaissance is clearly not happening.”
Common Dreams
September 8, 2025
President Donald Trump has also slashed 300,000 jobs from the federal workforce, making the social safety net cuts felt even more acutely. While many of these workers may not participate in these programs, their decreased spending is expected to ripple through their communities, according to Kyle Moore, an economist with the Economic Policy Institute.
SNAP and Medicaid are intended to kick in during economic downturns, softening a crash. But increased work requirements do the opposite, Moore adds.
“In fact, it’s taking away crucial help from families and children which limits their ability to participate in the labor market.”
Politico Women Rule newsletter
September 8, 2025
According to Economic Policy Institute data, the pay for chief executives at major companies in the U.S. rose by 1,085% from 1978 to 2023, with salaries … [paywall].
Fortune
September 8, 2025
But the recovery from the pandemic was uniquely fast, Valerie Wilson, a labor economist and the director of the program on race, ethnicity, and the economy at the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute, said. There was also a robust policy response at the time to address Americans who were struggling and out of work.
This time, the circumstances feel more uncertain.
“It’s difficult to predict whether we can recover quickly,” Wilson said. “That will depend on how quickly Congress moves to counteract the recession.”
Yahoo Finance
September 8, 2025
“Job losses were particularly acute in professional/business services, the federal government, and wholesale trade, but there have also been sustained losses over recent months in manufacturing, construction, and mining, an indication that Trump’s blue-collar renaissance is clearly not happening,” Economic Policy Institute senior economist Elise Gould said.
Washington Times
September 8, 2025