Twenty-six states preempt local governments from passing their own minimum wages, according to research from the Economic Policy Institute. Louisiana passed the first minimum wage preemption in 1997, and Florida and Texas each enacted the same restriction in 2003.
Bloomberg Law
June 2, 2023
The unemployment rate for young workers is the lowest in 70 years, according to the Economic Policy Institute, yet nearly 40% of Generation Z workers already in or entering the workforce cultivate a side hustle. That partly reflects the cost of living: Most young people worry they won’t make enough in one job to make ends meet. But that’s not the only reason. Many prioritize values-based factors over salary – like diversity in the workplace, mental health benefits, and flexibility to develop creative projects they see as important to their quality of life and future well-being.
Christian Science Monitor
June 2, 2023
According to WiseVoter, Wisconsin’s average starting teacher salary is $38,961, below the national average of $41,868. Using MIT’s living wage calculator, Wisconsin’s starting average is less than what an individual with children must make to support a family. Research from the Economic Policy Institute shows that teacher salaries have remained flat for nearly 30 years when accounting for inflation.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
June 2, 2023
Then, President Biden and House Speaker McCarthy reached a proposed deal on the debt ceiling debate. The House Rules Committee will consider it. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD), who helped negotiate the deal, joins us. And Samantha Sanders, director of government affairs and advocacy for the Economic Policy Institute, joins us to talk about who will be most affected by this proposed deal.
NPR
June 2, 2023
A recent report from the Economic Policy Institute found that the number of minors employed in violation of child labor laws increased 37% in the last year. This is particularly alarming as many young Virginians are already deprived of opportunities to flourish socially and economically through pathways that are entirely legal.
Richmond Times-Dispatch
June 2, 2023
The unemployment rate for people with disabilities, while still high compared to the overall unemployment rate, is 6.3% compared to 8.3% a year ago. In March, the unemployment rate for people aged 16 to 24, who are already benefiting from pre-pandemic labor market conditions, marked a 70-year low at 7.5%, according to the Economic Policy Institute. In April, it dipped further for that age group, to 6.5%.
Stateline
June 2, 2023
For years and years Biden’s closest and most influential economic advisor has been Jared Bernstein, a guy who started out and spent many years at the labor/liberal Economic Policy Institute. World of difference. He became Chair of the Council of Economic Advisors in February.
Talking Points Memo
June 2, 2023
According to the Economic Policy Institute, CEO compensation has increased by 1460.2% from 1978 to 2021 (adjusting for inflation), while worker compensation increased by 18.1%.
Entrepreneur
June 2, 2023
“Layoffs in tech are getting more attention because of where they are,” said Elise Gould, an economist at the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute. “Obviously they are damaging for people who lost their jobs, but it hasn’t been as damaging as the numbers would suggest.”
The Washington Post
June 2, 2023
The buying power of the federal minimum wage is at its lowest point since December 1949, according to a calculation by the Economic Policy Institute. The wage floor has been stuck at $7.25 an hour since July 2009, the longest period without change in its history. Its buying power has been eroded by inflation. In December 1949, the minimum wage was 40 cents an hour, or $4.48 in April 2023 dollars. It rose to 75 cents the next month, which is $8.44 in April 2023 dollars. At its peak value, in February 1968, the minimum wage was worth $12.44 in April 2023 dollars.
To adjust for inflation, the Economic Policy Institute splices together several price indexes to make up for the fact that the CPI-U — the price index for all urban consumers — isn’t defined consistently over time. Today’s minimum wage would appear even lower, going strictly by the CPI-U, which is what the Bureau of Labor Statistics uses in its online inflation calculator.
New York Times
June 2, 2023