Media clips

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• Salem businesses offering virtual shopping amid COVID-19 pandemic

  These days, more and more purchases are made online. The Economic Policy Institute has predicted that COVID-19 could potentially eliminate three million jobs from the US economy before the end of summer. Payne understands that times may be tough at the moment, but the community will persevere like it always does.

  Salem Times Register May 15, 2020
• State, local governments slash services as demand rises

  States face budget shortfalls as high as 10 percent in fiscal 2020 and 25 percent in fiscal 2021, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Josh Bivens of the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute wrote in a Monday blog post that combined state revenue shortfalls could reach $1 trillion by the end of 2021.

  Politico May 15, 2020
• States Were Prudent; Here’s Why They Need a Bailout Anyway

  This didn’t use to matter because, until 2000, state and local revenue were relatively insulated from recessions so they didn’t have to slash services and payrolls. But since then, revenues have been much more sensitive to the business cycle, according to the Economic Policy Institute, likely due to increased reliance on volatile income and capital gains taxes. As revenue plummeted in the 2007-09 recession, state and local government payrolls shrank by more than 500,000 over four years, a major headwind to the recovery.

  The Wall Street Journal May 15, 2020
• U.S. pandemic unemployment grows again, but so does the number of billionaires

  Progressive analysts at the Economic Policy Institute predict jobless figures will only get worse, especially for low-wage workers, women workers, and workers of color. “The May jobs number is going to be grim,” EPI Policy Director Heidi Shierholz predicted.

  People's Weekly World May 15, 2020
• White House opens door to state aid despite opposition from conservative groups, some GOP lawmakers

  States nationwide are bracing for significant budget cuts as demand for government services increases while tax revenue plummets because of a drop in economic activity. The Economic Policy Institute, a left-leaning think tank, said earlier this week that state and local governments could experience revenue shortfalls of nearly $1 trillion by 2021. Nearly 1,000 firefighters have already been furloughed or laid off nationwide, according to the International Association of Fire Chiefs, with 30,000 more possible this year or next.

  The Washington Post May 15, 2020
• We Need ‘Single Payer Like Yesterday’: Medicare for All Case Made as 16.2 Million Lose Employer-Tied Insurance

  In just two weeks, the number of Americans estimated to have lost their health insurance as a result of the coronavirus pandemic grew by nearly four million, according to the Economic Policy Institute.

  EPI estimates that 16.2 million workers overall have lost the insurance they carried through their employer since March, when the coronavirus forced industries across the country to shut down, laying off and furloughing tens of millions.

  The think tank previously estimated in research published at the end of April that 12.7 million people had lost their employer-based insurance.

  Common Dreams May 15, 2020
• Worse Than Reported?

  The Associated Press reported that an additional 7.5 million workers have been mistakenly classified as “employed, not at work” when they actually were jobless last month and should have been counted as unemployed, according to Shierholz, who now works at the liberal Economic Policy Institute. Add those numbers to the mix, the jobless rate shoots up to 23.6 percent — not far behind the all-time unemployment peak of roughly 25 percent from 1933.

  eMissourian May 15, 2020
• Más hogares en aprietos: 36.5 millones de personas han pedido el subsidio por desempleo en EEUU

  Y ese número habría sido aún más abultado pues millones más simplemente se cansaron de intentar acceder a los colapsados sistemas de los estados para solicitar el subsidio y miles más ni lo habrían intentado, según un reciente informe del Economic Policy Institute.

  Univision May 15, 2020
• Jobless Claims Top 36.5 Million Amid Virus Crisis As Another 3 Million File For Unemployment

  “The Economic Policy Institute earlier this week estimated that the current claims level probably undercounts by as much as 12 million those who are eligible for benefits but not getting them due to the inability to file or other roadblocks,” CNBC reported last month.

  The Daily Wire May 15, 2020
• Latinas among those hit hardest by COVID-19 job losses

  That’s because some of the hardest hit sectors of the economy are dominated by women, and particularly Latinas. Hospitality, retail and health care have all seen big job losses that have left Latinas vulnerable, says Elise Gould with the Economic Policy Institute.

  “The unemployment rate for Hispanic women sits at 20.2%,” Gould said. “That’s 1 in 5 Hispanic women are now unemployed.”

  Marketplace May 15, 2020