Media clips

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• Child care is now more expensive than rent in all 50 states – ‘There is no escaping it’

  In the largest metro area, New York, the typical monthly cost of child care for two children is $2,634 while the typical monthly housing cost is $2,451, according to the Economic Policy Institute’s Family Budget Calculator, which estimates the typical costs for a modest standard of living around the country.

  But the problem is not unique to large, pricey coastal cities. In a smaller metropolitan area like Scranton, Pa., child care for two typically costs $1,541 per month while housing costs $1,008 monthly, according to the EPI’s calculator.

  MarketWatch May 20, 2024
• How new China tariffs could affect prices for U.S. business owners, consumers

  With these new tariffs, said Adam Hersh, senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute, the impact for consumers is likely to be minor.

  “These tariffs that have been announced are only going to cover roughly 4% of imports from China,” he said.

  Marketplace May 20, 2024
• The outsourcing of housework is on the rise—and it’s creating a shift both inside of the home and out

  Domestic workers—of which non-Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic Asian American and Pacific Islander, and Hispanic women together make up more than half, according to the Economic Policy Institute—have historically been left out of workers’ rights policies and protections.

  WFMZ May 20, 2024
• H-1B visa reform cuts lottery bids by 40% amid fraud crackdown —Tech giants rally for fair play

  Similarly, the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), a progressive think tank, also expressed skepticism about USCIS’ ideas.

  “The H-1B Modernization rule only tinkers at the edges of improving program integrity, but fails terribly to tackle any of the real problems that have been documented by investigative news reports, government audits, and researchers like ourselves— while simultaneously proposing to dramatically expand the size of an H-1B program that remains vulnerable to rampant fraud and abuse,” EPI said in a statement to The Register.

  Latin Times May 20, 2024
• See which common jobs pay middle-class wages in Greater Cleveland

  During the pandemic, here and nationally, low-wage workers saw their pay increase since many employers had difficulty filling positions. “In stark contrast to prior decades, low-wage workers experienced dramatically fast real wage growth between 2019 and 2023,” a recent report  by the Washington-based Economic Policy Institute found. 

  Signal Cleveland May 20, 2024
• Recent college grads are doing shockingly well. Can it last?

  Those students who graduated from college during the global pandemic, the recession it induced and the topsy-turvy economic environment it left in its wake, have experienced a much faster bounce-back in the labor market and stronger wage growth than any recovery in recent history, according to new research by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI).

  CNN Business May 20, 2024
• ‘National Day without Child Care’ brings to light cost of early childhood education

  According to the Economic Policy Institute, the annual cost of infant care in Minnesota is $16,087, and the annual cost of child care for a four year old is $12,252. Currently the cost of child care for a typical family with an infant and four year old is about 37.4% of the family income.

  KIMT May 20, 2024
• Trendy Nonsense About Gen Z

  Subprime lenders targeted Black homebuyers and Black homeowners seeking refinancing. According to a study by the Economic Policy Institute, in 2006, just before the financial collapse, 52.9 percent of Black borrowers assumed a subprime mortgage compared to 47.3 percent of Hispanic borrowers and 26.1 percent of White borrowers. In the ensuing epidemic of foreclosures, Blacks suffered disproportionately.

  American Prospect May 20, 2024
• Salaried Pittsburghers who make up to $58K can soon earn overtime

  The final rule allows those who earn salaries up to $58,656 to collect overtime pay for their work. The previous rule, enacted during the Trump administration, set the threshold for being exempt from overtime at $35,568. The bump will help an estimated 4 million workers across the U.S. including a disproportionate number of women and workers of color, according to an analysis by the Economic Policy Institute, a Washington think tank focused on labor issues.

  …

  “The right to overtime pay has been eroded over time,” said Samantha Sanders, director of government affairs and advocacy at Economic Policy Institute. “A lot of folks, especially who are salaried and in white collar jobs, have not been familiar with their rights under this [rule].”

  90.5 WESA May 20, 2024
• In Our View: Nation should strive to improve mothers’ lives

  According to the Economic Policy Institute, a think tank based in Washington, D.C., child care costs more than in-state college tuition in 33 states. Those costs often lead parents to stay home with young children rather than pursue employment or education.

  The Columbian May 20, 2024