Areas of expertise
Wages • Poverty • Jobs • Health care • Economic mobility
Biography
Elise Gould joined EPI in 2003. Her research areas include wages, poverty, inequality, economic mobility and health care. She is a co-author of The State of Working America, 12th Edition. Gould authored a chapter on health in The State of Working America 2008/09; co-authored a book on health insurance coverage in retirement; published in venues such as The Chronicle of Higher Education, Challenge Magazine, and Tax Notes; and written for academic journals including Health Economics, Health Affairs, Journal of Aging and Social Policy, Risk Management & Insurance Review, Environmental Health Perspectives, and International Journal of Health Services. Gould has been quoted by a variety of news sources, including Bloomberg, NPR, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal, and her opinions have appeared on the op-ed pages of USA Today and The Detroit News. She has testified before the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means, Maryland Senate Finance and House Economic Matters committees, the New York City Council, and the District of Columbia Council.
Education
Ph.D., Economics, University of Wisconsin at Madison
Master of Public Affairs, University of Texas at Austin
B.A., Sociology, Wesleyan University
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A record-breaking recovery for Black and Hispanic workers: Prime-age employment rates have hit an all-time high alongside tremendous wage growth
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Fastest wage growth over the last four years among historically disadvantaged groups: Low-wage workers’ wages surged after decades of slow growth
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Gender wage gap persists in 2023: Women are paid roughly 22% less than men on average
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Data show anti-union ‘right-to-work’ laws damage state economies: As Michigan’s repeal takes effect, New Hampshire should continue to reject ‘right-to-work’ legislation
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What constitutes a living wage?: A guide to using EPI’s Family Budget Calculator
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The Economic Policy Institute’s Family Budget Calculator: Technical Documentation
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There’s no debate: Measurable income inequality has skyrocketed in recent decades
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Wage inequality fell in 2022 because stock market declines brought down pay of the highest earners: But top 1% wages have skyrocketed 171.7% since 1979 while bottom 90% wages have seen just 32.9% growth
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Paid sick leave access expands with widespread state action: Low-wage workers without access face economic and health insecurity
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New data show that access to paid sick days remains vastly unequal: Amid federal inaction, 61% of low-wage workers are without paid sick days
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News from EPI › Poverty increased sharply in 2022 due to safety net cutbacks and inflation shock: Strong labor market signals a better 2023
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2022 Census data preview: Poverty rates expected to increase as high inflation and the loss of safety net programs overshadow labor market improvements
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EPI comment regarding DOL’s proposed information collection to update the National Database of Childcare Prices
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The equalizing effect of strong labor markets: Explaining the disproportionate rise in the Black employment-to-population ratio
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Class of 2023: Young workers have experienced strong wage growth since 2020
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Class of 2023: Young people see better job opportunities
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Class of 2023: Young adults are graduating into a strong labor market
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Gender wage gap widens even as low-wage workers see strong gains: Women are paid roughly 22% less than men on average
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Low-wage workers have seen historically fast real wage growth in the pandemic business cycle: Policy investments translate into better opportunities for the lowest-paid workers
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Why ‘right-to-work’ was always wrong for Michigan: Restoring workers’ rights is key to reversing growing income inequality in Michigan
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Increasing the Maryland minimum wage to $15 in 2023 would boost incomes for low-wage workers and advance gender and racial justice: Testimony in support of the Fair Wage Act of 2023 (SB 555) before the Maryland Senate Finance and Budget and Taxation Committees
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Increasing the Maryland minimum wage to $15 in 2023 would boost incomes for low-wage workers and advance gender and racial justice: Testimony in support of the Fair Wage Act of 2023 (HB 549) before the Maryland House of Delegates Economic Matters Committee
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What to watch on jobs day: Upward revisions in employment expected after record two-year job growth
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A record share of earnings was not subject to Social Security taxes in 2021: Inequality’s undermining of Social Security has accelerated
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Inequality in annual earnings worsens in 2021: Top 1% of earners get a larger share of the earnings pie while the bottom 90% lose ground
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What to Watch on Jobs Day: Signs of life in stalled public-sector employment?
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Over 60% of low-wage workers still don’t have access to paid sick days on the job
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Child Tax Credit expansions were instrumental in reducing poverty rates to historic lows in 2021
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The 2021 Census report highlights how government relief measures played a vital role in reducing poverty
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2021 Census Data Preview: A growing economy and government relief measures matter for earnings, incomes, and poverty