The latest decision to nix the agency’s previous lottery-based method of selecting visa petitions is an attempt to address an issue that observers of the H-1B program have previously highlighted. That is, the H-1B program’s prevailing wage levels mean workers can hire foreign talent at prices that are “significantly lower” than local median salaries for certain occupations, according to a May analysis by the Economic Policy Institute. The organization found, for instance, that three-fifths of 2019 H-1B jobs were certified at the two lowest prevailing wage levels.
HR Dive
November 4, 2020
Whenever a minimum-wage increase is put to voters to decide, it passes, says David Cooper, senior analyst at the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute. The results in Florida, where the $15 wage floor passed with nearly 61% of the vote, “signals to federal lawmakers that this is an issue that they can’t ignore,” Cooper adds.
Quartz
November 4, 2020
Economists appear just as split on increasing the minimum wage as politicians. An open letter published by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) was signed by more than 40 economists supporting an increase of the minimum wage to $15 by 2024, noting that it would benefit about 28.1 million workers in the U.S.
The Hill
November 4, 2020
The Economic Policy Institute, a nonpartisan economic thinktank, asserts that gradually raising the national minimum wage to $15 an hour, similar to Amendment 2, would be “good for workers, businesses and the economy.” It states that a $15 minimum wage can bridge the widening gap between low-earners and the middle class and help address the racial wealth gap, without a negative impact on jobs.
Forbes
November 4, 2020
Twenty-nine states have set their rates higher than the federal minimum – all the way up to $13.50 in Washington. And some cities have set their minimum wage above their state’s floor. The large differences make efforts to statistically characterize minimum wage earners across the nation “thorny,” according to David Cooper, a senior economic analyst at left-leaning Economic Policy Institute.
The campaign also sent us research from the Economic Policy Institute that undermines Spanberger’s claim. EPI estimates 33.5 million people from all states would get raises if the federal minimum wage was lifted $15 in 2024. That includes 7.8 million moms – or 23% of the beneficiaries.
Interview with David Cooper, senior economic analyst at the Economic Policy Institute, Oct.26, 2020.
Economic Policy Institute, “Raising the federal minimum wage to $15 by 2025 would lift wages for over 33 million workers,” July 17, 2019.
EPI, “Congress could help nearly 8 million working moms this Mother’s Day if it raised the federal minimum wage,” May 10, 2019.
VPM
November 4, 2020
A three-page letter from Valley Central School District Superintendent John Xanthis strongly opposes giving companies, especially multibillion dollar companies, “egregious long-term tax abatements that unfairly burdens and take advantage of the local taxpayers and residents.” His letter cites findings of a report from the Economic Policy Institute on the effects of Amazon Fulfillment Centers on the local economy, which shows “tax incentives likely constitute an unneeded giveaway” and investments in public services are more effective than tax incentives at generating long-term economic growth.
Record Online
November 4, 2020
However, the Economic Policy Institute points out that women earn less at every wage level. Thus, it’s not just that women gravitate toward less-lucrative industries. Those women in high-paying sectors are still compensated less than their male counterparts. Logically, this suggests that with the gender equity gap, sexism is at least partially responsible for the negative impact.
Nasdaq
November 4, 2020
Bivens, J and B Zipperer (2020), Health Insurance and the COVID-19 Shock, Economic Policy Institute Report.
VoxEU
November 4, 2020