At a time when violations of child labor laws are on the rise nationally, state lawmakers around the country are successfully rolling back child labor protections. Jennifer Sherer and Nina Mast from the Economic Policy Institute have authored an article that insists lawmakers must act to strengthen standards, not erode the existing minimal standards designed to safeguard children from exploitation. They share insights into why weakening child labor protections could have detrimental effects on the middle class and the overall economy.
Nina Mast is an economic analyst for the Economic Analysis and Research Network (EARN) at EPI. She also worked on issue campaigns at The Hub Project and efforts to advance a progressive economic worldview at the Groundwork Collaborative.
Jennifer Sherer is the director of the Economic Analysis and Research Network (EARN) State Worker Power Initiative. Her work focuses on expanding the ability of working people to achieve racial, gender, and economic justice through organizing, collective bargaining, and public policies that promote worker voice.
Pitchfork Economics
November 9, 2023
As advocates including LaborLab and the Economic Policy Institute have argued for years, whatever reasons initially prompted the special enforcement policy no longer apply. And while rescinding the policy will not fully resolve the larger issue of LMDRA non-compliance, it will certainly provide more insight than the status quo. The DOL should take immediate action to end the policy.
On Labor
November 9, 2023
At least 16 states, including Florida, have introduced legislation to roll back child labor regulations over the last two years, according to the Economic Policy Institute.
Orlando Weekly
November 9, 2023
Inflation has meant that average hourly pay for auto workers dropped by nearly 20 percent since 2008, according to the Economic Policy Institute. Meanwhile, profits at the three major companies almost doubled in the last decade, and CEO pay has gone up by 40 percent.
The Texas Observer
November 9, 2023
Looking at New York Metropolitan area, the Economic Policy Institute gives some estimates for fixed expenses (excludes discretionary spending) including housing, childcare, food, transportation, health care, other necessities, and taxes:
Forbes
November 9, 2023
The Great Recession left Black households “headed by a college graduate with less wealth than white households headed by someone who dropped out of high school,” according to research from the Economic Policy Institute.
Black Enterprise
November 9, 2023
Research is clear that unionized workers have higher earnings. In 2020, for example, an Economic Policy Institute study found union workers make 11% more than nonunion workers.
The Messenger
November 9, 2023
Child care for a 4-year-old costs $9,773, meaning a typical family in Pennsylvania would have to spend 31.9% of its income on child care for an infant and a 4-year-old, according to research from the Economic Policy Institute.
Observer Reporter
November 9, 2023
“Tipped workers in states that eliminated the subminimum wage enjoy higher earnings, face less harassment on the job, and are less likely to live in poverty,” according to Human Rights Watch, citing studies from The Economic Policy Institute, the One Fair Wage campaign, and others.
USA Today
November 9, 2023
Since the 1970s, the nation’s wealth and income gap has widened dramatically. Between 1978 and 2019 (the most recent data available), the richest 0.1 percent of Americans increased their earnings by 341 percent in inflation-adjusted dollars, while the earnings of the typical worker grew only 18 percent between 1978 and 2020, according to the Economic Policy Institute.
The Progressive Magazine
November 9, 2023