But since the turn of the century, the U.S. has lost millions of jobs, particularly in manufacturing, at least partly because of China’s growing role in the world economy. Since the 2008 financial crisis, 1.7 million jobs have gone, according to the Economic Policy Institute, a nonpartisan think tank in Washington, D.C., which largely blames China’s admission into the World Trade Organization for the loss. In an essay titled “The Death of Engagement” by Orville Schell, a giant in the world of China studies, the former secretary of state George Shultz reflected that the policy of opening up “gave the Chinese leverage over us.”
The Atlantic
October 29, 2020
Also, nearly half of all Latina workers are employed in the three fields that suffered the greatest job losses this year between February and May: hospitality, retail, and “other services,” according to the Economic Policy Institute.
BE Latina
October 29, 2020
The Economic Policy Institute: “Counties that pivoted to Trump had lower wage growth than other counties”
The Hill
October 29, 2020
The national minimum wage was created in 1938 as part of the Fair Labor Standards Act, which set the rate at 25 cents an hour. It has risen in fits and starts in the decades since, but it has not kept pace with the country’s cost of living. According to a 2019 analysis done by the Economic Policy Institute, a Washington, D.C., think tank, after adjusting for inflation, the minimum wage reached its peak value in 1968. Today, the minimum wage is worth 31 percent less than it was in 1968 and 17 percent less than it was even as recently as 2009, the last time the national rate was increased, to $7.25 an hour.
Sarasota Magazine
October 29, 2020
The Economic Policy Institute’s Family Budget Calculator was used to determine the local cost of living, which includes housing, food, health care, transportation and other necessities. In many of the locations examined in the study – which identified the region in each state where the cost of living is lowest – housing costs can account for less than 15 percent of total living expenses.
The Center Square
October 29, 2020
The Economic Policy Institute’s Family Budget Calculator was used to determine the local cost of living, which includes housing, food, health care, transportation and other necessities. In many of the locations examined in the study – which identified the region in each state where the cost of living is lowest – housing costs can account for less than 15 percent of total living expenses.
The Center Square
October 29, 2020
At the same time that home prices have gone up, wages for the average worker have failed to keep pace. Research from the Economic Policy Institute shows that while wages for high-income workers grew steadily since the 1980s, middle- and low-income workers have actually seen their wages stagnate or even decline after adjusting for inflation.
Napa Valley Register
October 29, 2020
Josh Bevins, an analyst with the Economic Policy Institute points out, for instance, that “because the COVID-19 shock has been so centered in low-wage sectors, any given dollar value of GDP lost translates into far more people who have lost jobs.” When economic power is in the hands of a few and gains (and losses) are unequally distributed, GDP growth (or decline) can cover up the extent to which the rich are getting richer or hide the negative impact on workers.
People's Weekly World
October 29, 2020
Women Are Still Facing Higher Levels Of Unemployment Than Men. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 7.7 percent of women over the age of 20 remain unemployed, compared to 7.4 percent of men, though the gap has likely narrowed due to surges of women leaving the workforce. Heidi Shierholz, senior economist and director of policy at the Economic Policy Institute told The 19th: “…there is a real possibility many jobs lost by women will never come back.”
Protect Our Care
October 29, 2020