In a twist on these observations, the Economic Policy Institute recently released a paper—written by Jake Rosenfeld, an associate professor of sociology at Washington University in St. Louis, Patrick Denice, a postdoctoral research associate at the same school, and Jennifer Laird, a postdoctoral research scientist at the Center on Poverty and Social Policy at Columbia University—that argues the decline of unions, especially since 1979, has had a negative impact on the incomes of non-union workers.
In These Times
September 5, 2016
Recent research shows that the decline in union bargaining power observed in the 1980s has persisted and has now taken a big toll on union and nonunion workers alike. A just-released report from liberal-leaning think tank the Economic Policy Institute, for example, estimates that the decline in unions — from 23 percent in 1979 to 11 percent in 2013 — and their collective bargaining power has caused men in the private sector to earn $109 billion less every year and women to earn $24 billion less.
Salon
September 3, 2016
A new report released this week from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) provides further evidence that the benefits of unions go way beyond their own members, by raising the wages of non-unionized workers as well. In fact, nonunion workers lose $133 billion annually due to the decline in unions, according to the report.
Huffington Post
September 2, 2016
It is true that unions often limit their activities to matters concerning their membership. But it is wrong to conclude that this work does not help workers more generally or that unions don’t organize for the common good. A new paper from the Economic Policy Institute shows that higher union density has historically led to higher pay among nonunion workers. In fact, if union levels were in 2013 what they were in 1979, nonunion men would be earning an additional $109 billion per year. Groups like the Service Employees International Union have spent millions in a fight to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, even though they are unlikely to get an increase in membership in the short term. Call it the tide that lifts all boats… But despite the best efforts of labor, including large protests in the 1990s, globalization has largely continued apace, and U.S. workers have paid the price. According to the Economic Policy Institute, while NAFTA promised to create 200,000 new jobs for American workers, since its 1994 inception 682,900 jobs have been lost. Another EPI report found that international trade depressed wages for non-college-educated workers by 5.5 percent, meaning an annual loss of $1,800 for the average worker. Meanwhile, workers overseas often face even worse labor conditions, with fewer protections and lower wages.
The Washington Post
September 2, 2016
But there’s another theory to why wages have remained stagnant, one that’s just in time for Labor Day. The left-leaning Economic Policy Institute recently released a study that found that declining union participation has lowered the wages of not only union workers, but nonunion workers as well. Union participation has dropped dramatically in the past 60 years; from roughly one in three workers in the 1950s to about one in 20 today, according to EPI. As the report explains, “Unions, especially in industries and regions where they are strong, help boost the wages of all workers by establishing pay and benefit standards that many nonunion firms adopt.” “For 40 years, we’ve had wage stagnation for middle-wage workers,” said Lawrence Mishel, president of the Economic Policy Institute. “The system has been stacked against workers. There is only a weak presence of collective bargaining.”
PBS News Hour
September 2, 2016
On the other hand, recent research has traced a direct line between the fall of unions and some of the foremost problems in the US economy, including rising inequality and stagnant wages. A new report from the Economic Policy Institute estimates that the decline of unions has cost private-sector workers nearly $3,000 per year — even more for non-college grads.
The Boston Globe
September 2, 2016
“Increasingly, economic commentators are quick to point out that, as the economy gets closer to full employment, we will add fewer jobs each month. This is true, but by every measure, we are not there yet. August’s payroll number is weak tea–we need to have stronger job growth for a more sustained period before we can say we’re at full employment. The unemployment rate, the labor-force participation rate, and the employment-to-population ratio were little changed.” –Elise Gould, Economic Policy Institute
The Wall Street Journal
September 2, 2016
Elise Gould, senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute, said the latest payrolls report meant the Fed should hold fire. “August’s payroll number is weak tea – we need to have stronger job growth for a more sustained period before we can say we’re at full employment,” she said. “This is the last jobs report before the Federal Reserve meets and potentially raises rates. They should hold steady, and let the economy to steep a little longer, so the recovery can reach the most distressed communities.”
The Guardian
September 2, 2016
“August’s payroll number is weak tea—we need to have stronger job growth for a more sustained period before we can say we’re at full employment.” — Elise Gould, senior economist, Economic Policy Institute.
Market Watch
September 2, 2016
Linking education to U.S. economic prosperity is not exactly a novel idea, and research time and time again has supported this philosophy. However, improving the country’s education system could be a long haul, according to a new study by the Economic Policy Institute. The problem? It’s hard to recruit the best college grads to the sector when teachers get paid less than other college graduates with similar occupations, the study says.
Bloomberg
September 2, 2016