US employers spend more than $1.5bn a year on labor union opposition efforts, according to a report published on Wednesday by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI).
Employers spent company money hiring consultants and law firms specializing in union avoidance and on legal counsel, representation, and litigation services during union elections and organizing campaigns.
US employers spend $442m on union-avoidance consultants annually, according to an estimate by the EPI. Amazon alone spent $26.6m in 2025 on union-avoidance consultants, based on filings with the US Department of Labor.
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“This is millions or even billions of dollars that’s not going towards workers and investing into their workplace,” said Margaret Poydock, a co-author of the report and a senior policy analyst at the EPI.
The Guardian
May 26, 2026
If approved, about 350,000 workers in Oklahoma would receive raises, including more than 200,000 with children, according to the Economic Policy Institute.
The Oklahoman
May 26, 2026
A new study conducted by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) and LaborLab estimates that employers spent about $1.7 billion on union avoidance specialists and union-busting attorneys in 2024. The jointly authored report is one the most expansive and thorough estimates of union avoidance costs performed in decades.
Jacobin
May 26, 2026
Black job losses in 2025 underscore the Fed’s reporting. According to the Economic Policy Institute’s Valerie Wilson, the Black unemployment rate rose 1.2 percent in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the same time last year. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also recently reported that the Black unemployment rate, which is typically higher than the national average, rose to 7.3 percent, making the rate as high as it was the pandemic in 2021. As I’ve previously noted, Black women endured sudden and staggering job loss as more than 300,000 were let go in the first few months of 2025.
Truthout
May 26, 2026
It is also important to note that AGI includes both wages and taxable investment income. An Economic Policy Institute (EPI) analysis of Social Security Administration data further examined average annual earnings among top earners and found the following.
Investopedia
May 26, 2026
Last month, 40 policy and labor organizations took their fight for a federal framework to protect workers from AI disruptions to Capitol Hill. Led by the Economic Policy Institute, the AFL-CIO Tech Institute, and two social justice groups, We Build Progress and Workshop, they reminded members of Congress that majorities of Americans want to establish guardrails that protect jobs and states’ regulatory powers.
The American Prospect
May 26, 2026
Using data from implementation of the Minnesota unemployment benefits, the Economic Policy Institute estimated that a similar bill would cost Illinois school districts $56.3 million. This figure omits implementation costs and unemployment take-up by colleges and university employees, although these figures are likely to represent a relatively small percentage of the total compared to school districts.
Medill News Service
May 26, 2026
Vesconte is not alone. The college degree is “losing its edge”, according to a report this month from the Economic Policy Institute. Despite a growing economy and low unemployment rates, young college graduates are faced with dismal hiring prospects. Survey after survey show that gen Z is experiencing deep economic instability, along with eroding trust in the country’s leadership and weakened social connections.
The Guardian
May 26, 2026
Perhaps most significantly, Spanberger’s version gave more power to a new government agency that would be created under the legislation, known as the Public Employee Relations Board. An analysis by the Economic Policy Institute noted that the original bill contained detailed rules about union elections and contract negotiation timelines, while Spanberger’s version left these matters up to the body’s discretion.
Reason Magazine
May 26, 2026