Wage theft in the construction industry is a national issue. In 2017, Economic Policy Institute data showed that in the 10 most populous U.S. states, 2.4 million workers lose $8 billion annually (an average of $3,300 per year for year-round workers) to minimum wage violations — nearly a quarter of their earned wages.
American Painting Contractor
October 25, 2019
Wage growth has struggled through the recession, with the Economic Policy Institute describing it as “slow and flat.” Increases in household income have not matched the pace of inflation, according to Investopedia.
Newsweek
October 25, 2019
“Working people have taken it on the chin for four decades,” said Lawrence Mishel, a labor economist with the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute in Washington. “The workforce has been a tinderbox waiting to be lit. And if people see a way that they can solve their problems for themselves and their communities, they’re going to take it.”
NPR
October 25, 2019
Here’s the thing: As is, your Uber driver probably does not earn very much. The company has suggested that its contractors gross around $20 per hour, but that’s before you account for little things like the cost of repairing all the wear and tear on their vehicles, insurance, and gas. Once you do include those expenses, the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute estimates that drivers earn a bit under $12 per hour; the hourly rate drops closer to $9 if you take self-employment taxes into account. In some places, they do better—New York City passed a law last year requiring ride-hailing apps to pay a minimum wage of $17.22 an hour, after expenses. In California, they could end up getting benefits like health insurance thanks to the new state law aiming to make them employees, AB5, although right now it’s unclear if Uber and Lyft will even comply. But overall, it’s a hard, not particularly remunerative line of work, where a few extra dollars at the margins from a nice tip can make a big percentage difference in hourly take-home pay.
Slate
October 25, 2019
According to the Economic Policy Institute, 63 percent of the workers that would be affected by Pennsylvania’s regulation are women and nearly 16 are minorities.
Pennsylvania Capital-Star
October 25, 2019
And significantly, unlike in 42 states, there isn’t a lower minimum wage in California for employees who receive more than $30 a month in tips. In some states, that includes baristas, as well as waiters and bartenders. That lower wage for tipped employees puts more workers into poverty, the Economic Policy Institute points out, and also worsens racial and gender gaps in pay since minorities and women are overrepresented in these jobs.
Newsreview.com
October 25, 2019
Do these laws work? The Economic Policy Institute found that in the past five years, “1.8 million workers. . . .have benefitted from ordinances that protect against unfair scheduling practices and promote workplace flexibility.”
NJ.com
October 25, 2019
VANEK SMITH: And this comes to us courtesy of Heidi Shierholz, senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute in Washington, D.C.
NPR
October 25, 2019
For example, since 1978, CEO compensation has grown 940%, while typical worker compensation has risen only 12%, according to a study published by Economic Policy Institute on Aug. 14.
Tulsa World
October 25, 2019
He cited 1992′s North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which was backed by many Democrats and cost the country more than 850,000 jobs, according to the Economic Policy Institute, and the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which was scuttled by President Trump, probably because it had been negotiated by President Obama. Both were tilted against workers, Trumka said.
Canton Daily Ledger
October 25, 2019