Media clips

• Connecticut hourly minimum wage increases from $11 to $12

  According to the Economic Policy Institute, 465,000 workers in Connecticut would be affected by an increase in the minimum wage to $15, nearly 60 percent of which are women. The demographic affected by minimum wage also skews significantly older, with only 12 percent of those workers aged 19 or younger expected to be impacted. cq

  Yale Daily News September 17, 2020
• In 2019, public school teachers were paid nearly 20% less than other college-educated workers

  A new report from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) found that public school teachers were paid about 20% less in weekly wages than college-educated peers in 2019.

  The report’s authors, Sylvia Allegretto and Lawrence Mishel, call this the “teacher wage penalty” — and it’s actually gotten better since 2018. The 19.2% rate in 2019 was down from 22% in 2018.

  Business Insider September 17, 2020
• Trump trade wars have led to lost US jobs and factories. We need a worker-centered recovery.

  Four years later, it’s clear that Trump’s trade policies have failed U.S. workers. Instead of more good jobs, his ever-escalating trade wars have led to higher costs, lost markets, and more plant closures. Economic Policy Institute research shows that nearly 1,800 U.S. factories disappeared between 2016 and 2018.

  USA Today September 17, 2020
• Letters to the Editor, Sept. 16

  Trump promised to restore manufacturing jobs. Wrong. An Economic Policy Institute report in August said the U.S. has lost “nearly 1,800 factories … during the Trump administration between 2016 and 2018 (bit.ly/2Zffztf).

  Hood River News September 16, 2020
• In Presidential Race, Health Care Takes Backseat To Pandemic But Not In NC Senate Race

  There is some irony in the fact that the worst health care crisis in our lifetime has taken the focus off of health care coverage, even though, according to the Economic Policy Institute think tank, an estimated 6.2 million Americans lost their employer-sponsored health coverage because of the coronavirus-caused recession.

  WFAE September 16, 2020
• Kansas, Missouri Are Failing Mothers, Babies And Toddlers. Five Ways To Help Young Families

  COVID-19 job losses have exacerbated lack of access to prenatal care. The Economic Policy Institute estimates up to 12 million American workers have lost access to their employer-sponsored insurance – and women are overrepresented in the industries making significant cuts, including retail and restaurant jobs.

  KCUR September 16, 2020
• The Health 202: One million Americans lost health insurance last year

  The Economic Policy Institute has estimated that 12 million people have lost health insurance received through their workplace or that of a family member. Some of those have been able to enroll in Medicaid — its rolls have risen by about 4 million during the pandemic — but others find it unaffordable.

  Washington Post September 16, 2020
• This app matches job seekers with employers through hiring process that eliminates ‘unconscious bias’

  In another study about racial disparities in employment by the Economic Policy Institute, African-Americans were found to be twice as likely as whites to be unemployed at every education level.

  WUSA 9 September 16, 2020
• Why Unemployment Claims May Be Overcounted by Millions

  “This does really underscore just how important it is that we make key investments in our data infrastructure, because now we know what it feels like when we don’t have good data,” said Heidi Shierholz, director of policy for the Economic Policy Institute.

  New York Times September 16, 2020
• Median income hit record high in 2019 before the pandemic, Census says
  “The impact that we are seeing now from the pandemic and the recession really are a reflection of these kinds of disparities,” said Valerie Wilson, director of the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute’s Program on Race, Ethnicity and the Economy.
  CNN September 16, 2020