The pay boost was projected to directly benefit 216,000 Oklahoma workers and indirectly benefit about 142,000 others, according to the Economic Policy Institute.
Tulsa World
June 25, 2026
Like Oklahoma, the federal minimum wage hasn’t seen an increase since 2009, but 28 states and D.C. have increased theirs since 2014, according to the Economic Policy Institute.Most of those states are left-leaning, making them more likely to back minimum wage increases, but several red states, similar to Oklahoma, have passed higher minimum wages by ballot initiative.
The Oklahoman
June 25, 2026
Investopedia
June 25, 2026
Economic Policy Institute research suggests that raising the federal minimum wage to two-thirds of the national median wage—about $17.70 today and projected to reach $25 by 2038—could boost pay for nearly 40 million Americans, or a quarter of the workforce. Advocates say such a move would close wage gaps, particularly benefiting Black workers and women, and help alleviate poverty without significant job losses. This approach mirrors wage benchmarks in other high-income countries and aims to keep pace with median wage growth, preventing erosion from inflation. CT Insider
CT Insider
June 25, 2026
In Pennsylvania, African American unemployment ranges from about 6.7% to 8.9% on average, often roughly double the rate for white workers, according to the Economic Policy Institute. The highest rate nationally is in Washington, D.C., where 11.8% of African American residents are unemployed.
Philadelphia Tribune
June 25, 2026
The latest push from House Democrats urging the Department of Labor to withdraw its proposed rule revising the joint employer definition follows a familiar script.
Lawmakers, including Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), argue the proposal would narrow accountability in ways that could harm workers and small businesses, citing estimates that weaker standards could cost workers more than $1 billion annually, based on Economic Policy Institute analysis referenced in their letter to Acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling.
McKnight’s Senior Living
June 25, 2026
The NEA relies on pay-gap ratios from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) as of September 2025 to break down the disparity in compensation for educators …[paywall].
MLive
June 25, 2026
It’s rare for workers to allege child labor violations via litigation, said Nina Mast, policy and economic analyst at the Economic Policy Institute. Violations are most often addressed by state or federal agencies, which often struggle to adequately enforce even traditional child labor restrictions, much less those involving newer technologies, she said.
Given funding cuts and limited staff in the US Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division, “I would be surprised if they had the resources or specialized training to deal with cases like this, since it is so new,” Mast said.
Bloomberg Tax
June 25, 2026
Supporters, including the Economic Policy Institute, argued that raising the minimum wage would provide.
The Oklahoman
June 25, 2026
The report relies on analysis from the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute.
It projects that, if Wisconsin raised its minimum hourly wage to $20 by 2030, 458,800 Wisconsin workers would see higher wages, representing 16 percent of the state’s workforce. It also estimates that some 277,700 Wisconsin workers would be “indirectly affected” because, as people earning just above the minimum wage, the report argues that they would see raises as pay scales adjust upwards.
Wisconsin Public Radio
June 25, 2026