She points out that in the 2008 recession, for example, there were lots of jobs lost in areas like construction and manufacturing, which are typically male-dominated. But in this recession, the jobs were lost in fields like leisure and hospitality, retail and the public sector. “A disproportionate number of women lost their jobs,” says Gould, a senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute—and Black and Latinx women were particularly impacted. (Other differences between this recession and past recessions are outlined here.)
Real Simple
July 28, 2020
While broadly supported by Democrats and national union leadership, these free trade agreements have been devastating for workers. As described by the Economic Policy Institute, “USMCA will in no way offset or reverse the massive devastation caused by the original NAFTA agreement. Nor is the deal a ‘model for future trade agreements’.”
Workday Minnesota
July 28, 2020
The Trump Republican schemes talked about today would leave millions of people in the lurch, including, the Economic Policy Institute calculates, 5.1 million people who would be thrown out on the streets—some of them anew–as economic demand slides and workers are let go when the checks end and spending by recipients stop. The Census Bureau reports recipients spend 70% of each check on household expenses.
People's Weekly World
July 28, 2020
Economists at the progressive-leaning Economic Policy Institute reckon that cutting the federal weekly top-up from $600 to $200 could harm economic growth and lead to 3.4 million fewer jobs being created over the next year.
Al Jazeera
July 28, 2020
Features interview with Lawrence Mishel.
Lakeshore Public Radio
July 28, 2020
A 2019 report by the Economic Policy Institute found California teachers pay an average of $664 to stock their classrooms. They pay the most out of pocket out of all teachers nationwide.
KSBY-TV
July 28, 2020
Economic Policy Institute president Thea Lee, in a statement, excoriated Senate Republicans for the insufficient state and local aid included in the HEALS Act unveiled Monday evening.
“The bill’s failure to provide any aid to state and local governments is a glaring weakness,” said Lee. “This will mean drastic cuts to essential services like health care, education, and public safety right when people need them the most. It will also cost 5.3 million jobs in both the public and private sectors by the end of 2021, as public sector cuts and layoffs cause major fallout in the private sector as well.”
Common Dreams
July 28, 2020
There are almost 39,000 veterans in the public sector, according to a recent report by the Economic Policy Institute, a higher percentage than in the private sector.
Cleveland.com
July 28, 2020
As layoffs continue, some economists fear that reduced payments won’t be enough to help struggling Americans as more states halt re-openings and businesses shutter. In May and June, 7.5 million unemployed Americans went back to work, and roughly 70% of that group would have made more drawing unemployment, according to Heidi Shierholz, senior economist and director of policy for the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute.
“Concerns about the work disincentive simply ignore the realities of the labor market for working people, who will be very unlikely to turn down a job for a temporary boost in benefits, particularly when it is now clear that jobs are going to be scarce for a very long time,″ Shierholz said in a blog post.
“Cutting off the $600 cannot incentivize people to get jobs that aren’t there.″
Daily Messenger
July 28, 2020
“It is absolutely providing just a crucial lifeline to millions and millions of people,” said Heidi Shierholz, senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute and former chief economist at the U.S. Department of Labor. “But at the same time, there just have been — and we all know this — just a huge amount of issues with getting those benefits to many, many people.”
Bloomberg
July 28, 2020