The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) for North Carolina is sharing that childcare costs are on a major rise.
The EPI reports that the average annual cost for care in the state is $11,720, which is 57% more per year than the average annual in-state tuition for a four-year public college. They also report that families with at least two children pay more than $19,000 per year, which is more than the average annual rent price in the state.
WXII-TV
July 7, 2025
At least 26 states have launched “government efficiency” initiatives of their own in recent months, typically through executive order, legislation, or the creation of a legislative committee, according to an April analysis by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI).
The EPI briefing outlines how these state-level initiatives “use disingenuous calls to ‘root out inefficiency’ and ‘cut wasteful spending’ as a smokescreen,” with the ultimate goal of funding tax cuts for the wealthy.
“State lawmakers are using the DOGE brand to restructure government in favor of partisan interests,” Nina Mast, an EPI policy and economic analyst and a coauthor of the briefing, told Truthout. “They’re weaponizing ‘efficiency,’ in order to limit agency authority and put burdensome new requirements on agencies that serve the public.”
Truthout
July 7, 2025
The minimum wage rose starting July 1 for more than 880,000 workers in Alaska, Oregon, and Washington, D.C. In D.C., the city’s minimum wage increases from $17.50 per hour to $17.95 per hour.
A dozen cities and counties, including Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, are also raising their minimum wage.
Nearly 6 in 10 workers who will see a bump are women and nearly half work full-time, according to a report from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI).
Yahoo Finance
July 7, 2025
But if problems persist, or investigators find a pattern of violations, fines from ICE can range from $288 to $28,619 per worker, depending on the type and severity of the violation, according to the Economic Policy Institute.
“When employers are punished, the punishment and fines levied on employers are so minimal that they are unlikely to be effective at deterring illegal conduct, and the harshest penalties are rare because the legal standard for them is difficult to prove and they are reserved for repeat violators,” reads a report from the Economic Policy Institute.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
July 7, 2025
According to a report from the Economic Policy Institute, workers lose over $15 billion each year due to minimum wage violations alone — a burden that disproportionately affects immigrant and undocumented workers.
MoneyWise
July 7, 2025
According to the Economic Policy Institute, the median U.S. retirement account balance for workers approaching retirement is a mere $10,000.
New York Observer
July 7, 2025
An Economic Policy Institute report found that roughly half of older workers (aged 50 to 70) have physically demanding jobs, with more than half working in environmentally hazardous conditions. Whether you’re physically taxed by your day-to-day work, a challenging work schedule, or a high-pressure job, it makes sense to want to remove yourself from the situation.
Motley Fool
July 7, 2025
The company that finally turned its first annual profit in 2023 is supporting OBBBA because of the bill’s elimination of taxes on tips. But that elimination doesn’t appear to apply to Uber drivers in its current form. This endeavor is so gimmicky, even those who support the idea in theory often overlook its limited impact. The Economic Policy Institute’s February piece is a valuable source on the issue.
Indiana Citizen
July 7, 2025
…2.4 million farmworkers in the United States, according to the Economic Policy Institute, 40% of whom the Agriculture Department estimates…[paywall].
CNN
July 7, 2025