Media clips

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• OPINION: Why workers and employers both need paid family leave

  Unfortunately, Americans’ access to paid leave right now depends largely on where they work and whether they’re fortunate enough to belong to a union. And many still have no paid sick leave at all, according to a recent study by the Economic Policy Institute, a think tank in Washington, D.C.

  St. Louis/Southern Illinois Labor Tribune February 16, 2024
• Workers at an employee-owned Utah grocery vote to unionize, citing ‘unsustainable’ conditions

  There are more Utah workers represented by unions than members, which the Economic Policy Institute argues is a more relevant statistic. About 8% of Utah workers age 16 and older were represented by unions in 2023, even though they weren’t voting members.

  The Salt Lake Tribune February 16, 2024
• ‘Corporate America wants you to fail’: This ‘anti-career’ coach explains why young Americans are dismissing the value of hard work. Is she right?

  In 1980, the federal minimum hourly wage was $3.10. Today, it sits at $7.25. Adjusting for inflation, to reach the same purchasing power as over 40 years ago, the minimum wage would have to be around $12.22 an hour.

  Meanwhile, productivity from 1979-2022 grew at more than four times the rate of compensation (64.7% vs 14.8%) for typical workers, according to the Economic Policy Institute.

  If hard work doesn’t necessarily pay off, and it’s a struggle to afford basic goods, young people may not feel the extra effort is worth it.

  MoneyWise February 16, 2024
• Column: If the economy is so great, why are evictions soaring?

  Before disco, the top 10% shared 30% of the nation’s income, while the remaining 90% lived off the rest. Today, the bottom 90% is getting by with less than 60% of the income. The top 1% took in 14.6% in 2021, which is twice their 7.3% share in 1979, according to the Economic Policy Institute.

  LA Times February 16, 2024
• Older workers find a less tolerant workplace: Why many say age discrimination abounds

  Employment dipped by 15%, or nearly 6 million workers, for people 55 and over in the early months of 2020, according to an analysis by the Economic Policy Institute.

  USA Today February 16, 2024
• Higher prices for everything? Here are money tips to deal with inflation

  To illustrate regional differences — and to help people assess whether their own budgets are in line with their neighbors’ — the Economic Policy Institute has unveiled a family budget calculator with 2023 data for all counties and metro areas across the nation. The calculator estimates seven basic expense categories — housing, food, transportation, child care, health care, taxes and other basic necessities — for 10 family types (one or two adults with zero to four children).

  Arizona Republic February 16, 2024
• The Corporate Crooks Who Got Caught Stealing Workers’ Wages

  A 2014 study from the Economic Policy Institute found that wage theft “costs American workers as much as $50 billion a year.” It deserves massive attention.

  New Republic February 16, 2024
• What Is the Average Net Worth of the Top 1%?

  According to the Economic Policy Institute, the net worth of the top 1% of American households rose steadily through the second half of the 20th century and beyond.

  Investopedia February 16, 2024
• Wealth Disparities by Race Grew During the Pandemic, Despite Income Gains, Report Shows

  While less than 10% of all U.S. business owners are Black, Black-owned businesses were also more concentrated in industries hardest hit when COVID first spread, according to Economic Policy Institute analysis of government data. In April of 2020, more than 40% of Black business owners reported they were not working, compared with only 17% of white business owners.

  Associated Press February 16, 2024
• February 16, 2023
  February 16, 2024