Washington — State policymakers can maintain or bolster worker rights and safety and health protections – which are “under acute threat” – via a three-step plan, the Economic Policy Institute says in a new report.
EPI, which describes itself as a “nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank,” points to efforts by the Trump administration to restrict the General Duty Clause and block or delay standards on hazards such as heat exposure or silica dust, among other actions.
Safety and Health Magazine
November 4, 2025
The shutdown and the slashing of federal jobs have dealt a heavy blow to Virginia. Black Americans account for approximately 26% of the federal workforce in the state, according to the Economic Policy Institute, and make up around 18% of the total state population,
Capital B
November 4, 2025
But even at $17.95, these employees would earn slightly more than $37,000 a year if they work 40-hours a week—well below what is considered a living wage in D.C. for a single person. And according to data from the Economic Policy Institute, tipped workers face significantly higher poverty rates than non-tipped workers—7.7 percent vs 2.6 percent.
Washington City Paper
November 3, 2025
Virginia’s search for a governor comes at a tumultuous time for the state. It’s been hit especially hard by the federal government shutdown and the slashing of federal jobs. Black Americans are about 26% of the federal workforce in Virginia, according to the Economic Policy Institute, and account for approximately 18% of the total state population, making Virginia one of the states with the highest Black populations.
Capital B
November 3, 2025
As the Economic Policy Institute noted, “Presidential capture of the Fed would signal to decision-makers throughout the economy that interest rates will no longer be set on the basis of sound data or economic conditions.” (11) They added that, “Confidence that the Fed will respond wisely to future periods of macroeconomic stress — either excess inflation or unemployment — will evaporate.”
MoneyWise
November 3, 2025
Worse, according to Nina Mast of the Economic Policy Institute, many people in tipped jobs are women or people of color, and relying on tips can make these jobs unfair.
Eastside News
November 3, 2025
Low-income families of color were especially hurt by the Great Recession and COVID-19 pandemic-era recession, an August report from the Economic Policy Institute found. Families of color represent more than 60% of all economically vulnerable families with children.
“A lot of these families also were more likely than their more affluent peers to have a parent or child that was disabled within the home,” Ismael Cid-Martinez, MPhil, an economist at the Economic Policy Institute and co-author of the report, told The Nation’s Health.
Rising costs of living could further push disadvantaged households into greater financial strain, Cid-Martinez said. Nearly half of American renters spend over 30% of their income on housing, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Black renters are disproportionately burdened by rental costs compared to other populations.
The Nation’s Health
November 3, 2025
The Economic Policy Institute (2025) reported that the median wealth of Black federal employees is 29% lower than their white counterparts, despite equal or higher education levels.
Black Lens News
November 3, 2025
About one in four Black households relies on SNAP to avoid food insecurity, according to data from the Economic Policy Institute.
Word in Black
November 3, 2025
In 2024, analysis by the Economic Policy Institute found that the wages of the top 1% had risen by 182% since 1979 while those of the bottom 90% had grown by just 44%.
Forbes
November 3, 2025