Media clips

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• Full COVID recovery requires raising the minimum wage

  The coronavirus crisis recovery has been labeled “k-shaped” because of the way it has magnified existing inequalities.

  The Hill February 11, 2021
• Michigan ranks third for highest Black unemployment rate, site says

  But when COVID-19 hit and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer mandated economic shutdowns for as long as eight months in some industries, that figure jumped fivefold to 35.5% in the second quarter of 2020, according to the Economic Policy Institute (EPI).

  The Center Square February 11, 2021
• More temps, more hours: Signs of an improving economy emerge despite pullback in hiring

  Heidi Shierholz, senior economist for the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute, disputed that the jobless would prefer to draw benefits that last months rather than a permanent job, especially since there were 1.6 unemployed people for every job opening in December.

  USA Today February 11, 2021
• NEW POLLING COMMISSIONED BY NELP: VOTERS AGREE—RAISING THE FEDERAL MINIMUM WAGE TO $15 IS GOOD FOR EVERYONE

  Raising the federal minimum wage is a crucial racial and gender justice issue, as analysis from the Economic Policy Institute demonstrates that the majority of workers who will benefit from a $15 minimum wage are adult women, and Black women in particular. Raising the federal minimum wage is also more urgent than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic: A majority of people who would benefit from the Raise the Wage Act are frontline and essential workers, including those who work in nursing homes, hospitals, schools, retail establishments, food service, and the transportation industry. It is not enough to call these workers heroes. They need the wages they have been fighting for across the country.

  NELP February 11, 2021
• Sanders Responds to CBO Report on $15 Minimum Wage

  “I find it hard to understand how the CBO concluded that raising the minimum wage would increase the deficit by $54 billion. Two years ago, CBO concluded that a $15 minimum wage would increase the deficit by less than $1 million over ten years. Further, several major studies done by the Center on Wage and Employment Dynamics and the Economic Policy Institute both found that raising the minimum wage would amount to a significant reduction in the deficit.

  Sen. Bernie Sanders February 11, 2021
• Sen. Ron Wyden Will Introduce A $500 Million Bill Seeking To Update State Unemployment Systems That Delayed Payments To Millions Last Year

  Research by the Economic Policy Institute estimated that while about 21.5 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits in the first month of the pandemic, another 12 million did not even get to apply for aid as they struggled with the systems to obtain such payments.

  Forbes February 11, 2021
• The COVID-19 learning gap

  A report from the Economic Policy Institute, titled COVID-19 and student performance, equity, and U.S. education policy, found that online learning and teaching are effective only if students have consistent access to the internet and computers and if teachers have received targeted training and support for online instruction.

  North Carolina Health News February 11, 2021
• Getting Beyond the Minimum Wage Debate

  And if people have more money, they might spend more. A 2020 study from Princeton University shows that providing low-wage workers with more money directly leads to increased consumer demand. That’s because they quickly recirculate their wages, says Heidi Shierholz, senior economist and director of policy at the Economic Policy Institute, a nonpartisan think tank in Washington, D.C. Low-wage workers and unemployed people, she says, typically have “no choice but to spend immediately on necessities.”

  Inc. February 11, 2021
• U.S. Rep. Lawrence Highlights Raise The Wage Act Report

  Detroit, MI – Today, U.S. Representative Brenda L. Lawrence (MI-14) shared a report by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) that analyzed the benefits of the Raise the Wage Act. Rep. Lawrence is an original co-sponsor of the legislation which she and her colleagues reintroduced last week. According to the report, increasing the minimum wage to $15 would benefit approximately 1.3 million Michiganders, including 92,000 people (31 percent of workers) in Michigan’s 14th Congressional District.

  Public February 11, 2021
• What Role Will Hybrid Learning Play in the Future of K–12 Education?

  Recent research from the Economic Policy Institute suggests that online teaching and learning models can be effective “if students have consistent access to the Internet and computers and if teachers have received targeted training and supports for online instruction.”

  Ed Tech Magazine February 11, 2021