Media clips

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• Agency battling wage theft in California is too short-staffed to do its job

  California stands out among states for its efforts and policies to tackle wage theft given its union density, number of worker centers and public dollars committed to combating the problem, said David Cooper, a researcher who has studied wage theft at the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute, which is based in Washington, D.C.

  Union members accounted for 15.9% of wage and salary workers in California, compared to 10.3% nationally. That higher than average membership helps workers identify wage theft, Cooper said.

  “California has far more immigrants than a lot of other places, and we know that immigrants, and people of color generally, tend to more likely be victims of wage theft,” said Cooper, who is director of the institute’s Economic Analysis and Research Network, which coordinates nearly 60 state and local research and advocacy efforts nationally. 

  “Immigrants who are either undocumented, or may have family who are undocumented, are not going to speak up as vocally if their rights are being violated.”

  Cooper said the thousands of wage theft claims filed in California each year are likely an undercount of stolen pay cases.

  Cal Matters November 10, 2022
• By the numbers: Data drives national economist’s advocacy

  That emphasis remained as Jones flourished in her career. She became an economist at the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, an analyst at the Economic Policy Institute, policy and research director at The Hub Project, and managing director for policy and research at Groundwork Collaborative before joining the Department of Labor. Her research has been cited in national media including The Economist, The Washington Post, The Review of Black Political Economy, The New Yorker, and Harper’s.

  Illinois State University November 10, 2022
• Colorado gig drivers make an average of just $5.49 an hour, study finds

  The study marks the latest attempt to quantify wages for gig workers, which can vary widely due to the range of ways to calculate costs, time and miles spent on the job. A 2018 study from the Economic Policy Institute showed Uber drivers make an average of $9.21 an hour, while another study that year found Uber and Lyft drivers made a median of $8.55 each hour before taxes.

  The Guardian November 10, 2022
• 3 Industries Affected By Racial Disparity And How It’s Being Addressed

  The coronavirus pandemic offered a stark reminder that these industries’ disproportionately nonwhite workforces remain vulnerable. An analysis by the Economic Policy Institute found that Black workers were much more likely to work in “frontline” roles within these sectors, and thus at higher risk of Covid-19 infection.

  Forbes November 10, 2022
• Nebraska Voters Approve $15 Minimum Wage

  The Economic Policy Institute estimated that the Nebraska measure would affect nearly 150,000 low-wage workers, or about 17% of the state’s workforce. The tight labor market and low unemployment during the pandemic have likely blunted the impact of such an increase, since many employers have already been forced to raise their wages in order to attract employees.

   
  Huffpost November 10, 2022
• Report: Big Shipping Companies’ Profits Increased 30,000 Percent Amid Inflation

  The report is drawn from testimony and evidence from left-leaning organizations like the Economic Policy Institute and the Roosevelt Institute, which have indeed found that corporations are in large part responsible for inflation.

  Truthout November 10, 2022
• Credit card debt is back up to pre-pandemic levels, says Equifax report

  That’s likely in part because many people still have more savings than they did before the pandemic, said Josh Bivens at the Economic Policy Institute. 

  “And plus, we still have a very strong job market, I think inflation’s convinced people this is a terrible economy for people,” he said.

  But, he said, it’s not — unemployment is low and there are still a lot of jobs to be found. 

  Marketplace November 10, 2022
• Why is the Democratic economic message such a hard sell?

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  https://www.ft.com/content/07d5c256-0d3a-400b-84f2-0fcc449e1e0d

  Inflation was always going to go up for a certain period of time after nearly half a century of easy money and outsourcing came to an end. Biden’s fiscal spending has little to do with the larger paradigm shift we are going through. And yet, Democrats are taking the heat for inflation, which is making it difficult for them to message all their gains. So, what do to? I’d suggest Democrats focus more on how they, not Republicans, are trying to rein in corporations. Josh Bivens, director of research for the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute, posted a blog that everyone should have a look at. As he puts it:

  Financial Times November 10, 2022
• Bernie Sanders hits the campaign trail with days left before US midterms

  In an attempt to turn the inflation conversation on its head, Sanders has framed the problem as a result of corporate greed, and there is some evidence to support his theory. One analysis released in April by the Economic Policy Institute, a left-leaning thinktank, concluded that about 54% of inflation could be attributed to increased corporate profits.

  The Guardian November 10, 2022
• Trader Joe’s accused of bad faith bargaining by union

  Unfair labor practice charges against employers can be common when unionization efforts are underway, with the prevalence of the charges generally increasing as the size of the bargaining unit gets larger, according to the Economic Policy Institute. For a bargaining unit representing more than 60 employees, more than half (54.4%) of employers have been charged with violating federal law, according to an analysis by the independent, nonprofit think tank. 

  Employers have a range of legal and illegal tactics to discourage unionization, and there’s a growing trend of employers hiring “union avoidance” consultants, the Economic Policy Institute noted. 

  Grocery Dive November 10, 2022
• House Analysis Confirms Corporations Use ‘Cover of Inflation to Raise Prices Excessively’

  Specifically, the document says that “studies by the Economic Policy Institute and Roosevelt Institute demonstrate that profits contributed more to price growth in the United States from mid-2020 through the end of 2021 than at any other point from 1979 to the present—and continue to contribute markedly today. This is especially true in highly concentrated industries.”

  Common Dreams November 10, 2022
• Minnesota companies have raised prices, but key margins remain below pre-pandemic times

  The Economic Policy Institute, a left-leaning think tank in Washington, in April called for an temporary tax on excess corporate profits. Porter, the California congresswoman, often cites an analysis by the institute that says 54 cents of every $1 in price increases is due to profit padding rather than higher labor or other input costs.

  Minnesota Star Tribune November 10, 2022
• Black Unemployment 84% Higher Than White

  The reasons black Americans have higher jobless rates than white people fall into several categories. The Economic Policy Institute reports that among the primary reasons are “racism” and single adult households where one person tries to care for children and hold a full-time job simultaneously.

  24/7 Wall St. November 10, 2022
• Disney, other tourism workers need $18 minimum wage, report says

  The union spoke with employees and used tools such as MIT’s Living Wage Calculator and the Economic Policy Institute’s Family Budget Calculator to arrive at the $18 figure, though it notes “most workers need to make much more than that to cover their necessities.”

  Orlando Sentinel November 10, 2022
• Why Uber and Hillary Clinton care about a minimum wage vote in Portland, Maine

  “You’re basically baking those kinds of discrimination into people’s wages,” said Elise Gould, senior economist at the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute.

  Politico November 10, 2022
• OEA president links test scores with teacher pay

  To close the gap, the state must increase teacher pay, Bishop said, referencing an Economic Policy Institute study that showed teachers were paid more than 30% less than other college graduates.

  The Norman Transcript November 10, 2022
• US perspectives on China, Asia vary sharply between ‘elites’ and general public, survey finds

  In 2020, the Washington-based Economic Policy Institute released a report detailing how the US had lost 3.7 million jobs due to a trade imbalance with China since 2001.

  South China Morning Post November 10, 2022
• US midwest grapples with job losses to China as midterm elections approach

  Since 2001, its trade deficit with China has cost the US 3.7 million jobs, with most of the losses stemming from manufacturing, according to a 2020 report by think tank Economic Policy Institute.

  Channel News Asia November 10, 2022
• Elon Musk’s Twitter lays off employees across the company

  “Once you treat people like this, they remember that,” said Terri Gerstein, a fellow at Harvard Law School’s Labor and Worklife Program and Economic Policy Institute. “Of the people remaining, it is a certainty that none of them feel secure in their job, and I would be shocked if the remaining people were not updating their resumes right now or talking with each other about starting a union.”

  CNN Business November 10, 2022
• 5 key personal finance issues this midterm election season — and what they mean for your wallet

  Ben Zipperer, an economist at the Economic Policy Institute, said he wouldn’t be surprised if Nov. 8 is a win for low-wage workers.

  “Minimum wage increases are tremendously popular, and I’m not aware of a ballot proposal being voted on that has failed in the last two decades,” Zipperer said.

  CNBC November 10, 2022
• Opinion: The inflation blame game

  We all know that the current economic situation did not suddenly appear in the last year. A February 2022 blog by The Economic Policy Institute, stated that the COVID-19 pandemic is the primary factor driving excessive inflation through demand and supply-side distortions, i.e., global supply chains snarled due largely to port shutdowns caused by COVID-19 outbreaks.

  Concord Monitor November 10, 2022
• 13 years, no change: Reflecting on Pennsylvania’s minimum wage

  The Economic Policy Institute found the value of the federal minimum wage — which is currently $7.25 an hour — has decreased by 30%, meaning the minimum wage is worth less now than it has been at any point since February 1956. 

  The Brown and White November 10, 2022
• Wage growth seems to be slowing. But is it enough to please Fed policymakers?

  “If you look last month compared to the three months prior, wage growth has been certainly moderating, and appears to be decelerating over the last few months,” said Elise Gould at the Economic Policy Institute.

  But it doesn’t have to be, Gould said. “We want to have wage growth that at least exceeds inflation so that people have increase in their living standards, increases in their ability to make ends meet. And we also want workers to see the returns of their increased productivity. Over the long term, we see productivity growth around 1.5%.”

   
  Marketplace November 10, 2022
• The unemployment rate for Black men fell in October, but so did labor force participation

  On the brighter side, the employment to population ratio for Black women didn’t change, though labor market participation ticked up during the month. That could be a sign that more Black women are returning to the labor force and are looking for jobs but haven’t yet found employment, noted Valerie Wilson, director of the program on race, ethnicity and the economy at the Economic Policy Institute.

  CNBC November 10, 2022
• Voters will have their say on expanding Medicaid, raising the minimum wage and taxing the rich in some states

  It would benefit about 150,000 workers, according to the National Employment Law Project and the Economic Policy Institute, which are both left-leaning groups. Some 75% of the workers are over the age of 20.

  CNN November 10, 2022
• Why the ‘Good’ Jobs News is Tentative

  The number of jobs created, 261,000 in October, is historically strong and economists had expected a number closer to 200,000, according to the New York Times. But as Economic Policy Institute president Heidi Shierholz noted on Twitter, that is far off the average pace of 539,000 per month from the first quarter of 2022.

  Globe St. November 10, 2022
• November 10, 2022
  November 10, 2022
• 13 years, no change: Reflecting on Pennsylvania’s minimum wage

  The Economic Policy Institute found the value of the federal minimum wage — which is currently $7.25 an hour — has decreased by 30%, meaning the minimum wage is worth less now than it has been at any point since February 1956. 

  November 7, 2022
• The unemployment rate for Black men fell in October, but so did labor force participation

  On the brighter side, the employment to population ratio for Black women didn’t change, though labor market participation ticked up during the month. That could be a sign that more Black women are returning to the labor force and are looking for jobs but haven’t yet found employment, noted Valerie Wilson, director of the program on race, ethnicity and the economy at the Economic Policy Institute.

  CNBC November 7, 2022
• Voters will have their say on expanding Medicaid, raising the minimum wage and taxing the rich in some states

  It would benefit about 150,000 workers, according to the National Employment Law Project and the Economic Policy Institute, which are both left-leaning groups. Some 75% of the workers are over the age of 20.

  CNN November 7, 2022