HEIDI SHIERHOLZ, PRESIDENT, ECONOMIC POLICY INSTITUTE: That loss of 92,000 jobs? That’s big. I always though want to caution, don’t put too much weight on one month of data. But when you step back from this, the broad trend is bad.
If you look over the last three months, the average job growth was just 6,000 jobs a month. And if you look over the last nine months, five of those were negatives.
CNN International
March 9, 2026
Childcare can be really, really expensive: In Wisconsin, childcare for infants through 4-year-olds costs more, on average, than four-year public college tuition, according to the Economic Policy Institute. Parents often spend about 20% of their income per child on care, Pertl estimated.
Green Bay Press Gazette
March 9, 2026
Not everyone agrees with the move. Nina Mast, an economic analyst who researches child labor for the Economic Policy Institute, previously told IndyStar via email the she believed eliminating the system was not the solution.
“I don’t think lawmakers should be in the business of enacting legislation that makes it as easy as possible for employers to hire children,” she said. “The guardrails are there for a reason — to protect minors from being employed in hazardous jobs or jobs that put their education and well-being at risk.”
Indy Star
March 9, 2026
Nationally, the bus driver shortage has gotten better, but only marginally. According to a recent study from the Economic Policy Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank, the number of bus drivers increased by roughly 2,300 (1.1%) from 2024 to 2025. But it remains 9.5% lower than 2019.
Alabama Reflector
March 9, 2026
Low-income households have been hit particularly bad. Real wages for low-wage workers fell in 2025 after years of growing, an Economic Policy Institute analysis found, which will have “an impact on the overall economy,” said Elise Gould, an EPI senior economist.
Bloomberg
March 9, 2026
Small companies — which already qualify for reduced fines — have been granted even larger breaks under the Trump administration, according to an analysis by the Economic Policy Institute.
In July, the Labor Department changed its policies to allow companies with 25 or fewer employees to receive automatic penalty reductions of 70 percent, and to allow reductions for companies without a history of violations or for those that took immediate steps to remedy an unsafe situation.
Texas Public Radio
March 9, 2026
chief executive pay spiked by 1,094%, according to the Economic Policy Institute-which means the average CEO earns 281 times the…[paywall].
Fast Company
March 9, 2026
In fact, the Economic Policy Institute reported in 2024 that teachers were being paid about 73 cents for every dollar paid to a professional working in another field with an equivalent degree.
Parenting Patch
March 9, 2026
Teachers and other education professionals are typically paid by state and local governments, where wage growth tends to lag the private sector. While those roles often offer job stability, defined pensions and summer breaks, a 2025 report from the Economic Policy Institute finds teachers earn less than other college-educated workers with comparable levels of education and experience.
CNBC
March 9, 2026