2,$358 is what it costs each American taxpayer on average to finance this analysis by the Economic Policy Institute.
Putting that amount into perspective would mean, according to the same institute, funding more than 925,000 teachers or healthcare for more than 5 million veterans or Medicaid for almost 12 million people.
N+ Univision
September 8, 2026
Another major reason is teacher pay. The average teacher salary in the United States was $74,495 in 2024-25. On average, teachers earned 73.1 cents per dollar compared with professionals with similar experience and education in 2024, according to a study from the Economic Policy Institute. Back in 1996, that number was at 93.9 cents.
Gulfshore Business
September 8, 2026
In his first year since returning to power — even before his reckless decision to go to war against Iran had hiked gas prices and economic uncertainty —Trump had “actively made life less affordable for working people,” according to the Economic Policy Institute.
The Hill
September 8, 2026
A second DOL proposal would make it easier for employers to classify workers as independent contractors, a change the organization said is risky for home care workers, who already face a heightened chance of being misclassified. The Economic Policy Institute estimates misclassification costs a worker between $7,719 and $10,963 a year in lost wages, benefits and protections
McKnight’s Senior Living
September 8, 2026
Richard Stern and Josh Bivens talked about the how the U.S. economy and its impact on Americans could influence the 2026 midterm elections.
C-SPAN Washington Journal
September 8, 2026
A new Economic Policy Institute calculator gives that contradiction a price tag. It starts with the National Priorities Project’s estimate that the federal government plans to spend $268.9 billion on mass deportation during the second Trump administration, then allocates the cost according to each community’s share of federal income taxes. By that method, Columbus’s share is about $535.4 million, or roughly $1,760 for each Columbus tax filer who owes federal income tax after credits.
Columbus Underground
September 3, 2026
An Economic Policy Institute calculator estimates that Huron County taxpayers will shoulder nearly $20 million of the federal government’s deportation spending during the remaining 21/2 years of President Donald Trump’s termabout $960 for each local federal income-tax filer who owes tax. The calculator applies Huron County’s share of federal income taxes to a national estimate of $268.9 billion in deportation spending. At a time when families are squeezed and local employers need workers, residents deserve to ask what that money will buy.
Sandusky Register
September 3, 2026
The math behind that decision isn’t subtle. According to the Economic Policy Institute, public school teachers earned 25.2% less in weekly wages than comparable college graduates in 2025 — more than four times the 6.1% pay penalty teachers faced in 1996. Even counting benefits, teachers are still behind by 14.5%. Over the last three decades, inflation-adjusted teacher wages have actually fallen 6.2%, while wages for comparable college graduates rose 28.8%.
Forbes
September 3, 2026
There is a major bus driver shortage across the nation. The Economic Policy Institute reports there are still 21,000 fewer school bus drivers on the road than before the COVID-19 pandemic.
The key reason for that shortage is low pay. In 2023, the average school bus driver earned 43% less than the average weekly pay for all workers. Some districts have even tried to combat this by offering bonuses and other incentives.
FOX 54 (Alabama)
September 3, 2026