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
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
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
Hearst TV
December 18, 2025
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
According to the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), as countries grow wealthier and populations grow older, there is a greater demand for a larger public sector. However, the share of national income collected in taxes by the U.S. government has stagnated – leaving both revenue and public spending in the U.S. at levels far below other advanced nations. Starting in the 1970s, Republicans at the federal level have pursued an anti-tax and anti-government movement that has lowered tax rates on the wealthiest Americans and large corporations, while low- and middle-income households have experienced declining living standards and a diminished public sector.
CT Insider
December 15, 2025
Yes, we know it’s an outright lie that there has been “no inflation” over the last year, and that actual economists, including those at the Economic Policy Institute, said in January that Trump inherited a strong economy from Biden, not the “MESS” of a hand he claims he got dealt.
NewsOne
December 15, 2025
Data from the Economic Policy Institute show that from 1979 to 2023, the share of all wages held by the bottom 90% by income fell by 9.1 percentage points.
MarketWatch
December 15, 2025
Sources:
Economic Policy Institute. (2024). How vouchers harm public schools: Calculating the cost of voucher programs to public school districts. https://www.epi.org/publication/vouchers-harm-public-schools/
Tennessee Stands
December 15, 2025