- The federal minimum wage is intended to ensure a fair and livable wage for the nation’s lowest-paid workers. However, according to a 2016 report by the Economic Policy Institute, it hasn’t really done that since 1968. If the federal minimum wage had grown in conjunction with American productivity, today’s workers would see more than $18 an hour — more than double the current federal standard. Business owners in Colorado and California were not impacted by the raise. In fact they benefited. People now have more money to spend and are thus more likely to purchase goods and services they never could before. — Erica Jones
Delaware State News
June 6, 2019
Forty percent of Americans are unable to cover a $400 emergency expense, and wages have remained close to stagnant for most people, despite gains for top earners. An analysis from the Economic Policy Institute shows that labor income for the bottom 90 percent of Americans has shrunk by more than 10 percent since 1979—translating to about $10,800 of total lost wages per household. All the while, costs of living—including child care and education costs—have continued to rise, outpacing wage growth for most Americans. With little sign of bipartisan cooperation on pro-worker policies, a tight labor market is the primary area in which most workers can expect to reverse this trend in the coming year.
Center for American Progress
June 6, 2019
When we look at the top 1%, these trends are only exaggerated. According to a 2015 report from the Economic Policy Institute, in the United States, the top 1% of wage earners take home 21% of U.S. income. You can see this as you look at the chart from the report below. These incomes shares are near historical levels for the 1%.
Investopedia
June 6, 2019
A budget calculator from the Washington-based nonprofit Economic Policy Institute estimates a family of four in Montgomery County needs a $104,000 annual household income while in Frederick County, the same size family requires $94,000 a year to pay for everything from housing to food, clothing and transportation. Farther out, the cost is $88,000 in Martinsburg, West Virginia, which is the westernmost stop on the MARC commuter train’s Brunswick Line that runs through Montgomery County on its way into the District.
Bethesda Magazine
June 6, 2019
According to a new study by the Economic Policy Institute, (EPI) more than half of teachers do not feel supported in their jobs, and 25% consider leaving the profession as a result. The study is the fourth in EPI’s series looking at the trends – challenging working environment, low pay, lack of professional development opportunities, and the diminished status of the profession – that have undermined the teacher labor market.
NEA Today
June 6, 2019
According to the Economic Policy Institute, college graduates made 56% more money than high school graduates in 2015. That’s the biggest difference on record.
KRQE Media
June 6, 2019
All of this seems like good news for recent college graduates. However, according to a recent report from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), Class of 2019: College Edition, this demographic group faces some real economic challenges, too. The report explores who these students are, what they plan to do next and what the employment picture looks like for them.
PayScale
June 6, 2019
Even when benefits are thrown in, America’s teachers earned 13% less in 2018 than private-sector workers with similar levels of education, according to the Economic Policy Institute. The nonprofit think tank, which receives funding from labor unions, examined decades of federal data.
The USA Today
June 6, 2019
Children in kindergarten and ninth grades miss the most days of school per year, and absenteeism is connected to poorer scores in reading and math, according to the Economic Policy Institute.
Governing
June 6, 2019
American workers lose billions of dollars to wage theft each year — as much as $50 billion in 2016, according to research from the Economic Policy Institute.
Marketplace
May 31, 2019