Economic Policy Institute
Kids at work: States try to ease child labor laws at behest of industry
WASHINGTON — Lawmakers in 11 states have either passed or introduced laws to roll back child labor laws — a push that’s come from industry trade organizations and mostly conservative legislators as businesses scramble for low-wage workers. In the past two years, those states have moved to extend working hours for children, eliminate work permit […]
Why non-compete agreements are unfair to workers
Even some fast food workers have been forced to abide by non-compete clauses Earlier this month, the Federal Trade Commission proposed a rule prohibiting employers from requiring employees to abide by non-compete agreements as a condition of employment. The practice of requiring employees to sign a non-compete agreement is not new, but was traditionally required […]
Experts: Why workers are much less likely to earn a decent wage in states like North Carolina
It comes as little surprise, but a new post from a pair of Economic Policy Institute experts — economist Ben Zipperer and state policy coordinator Dave Kamper — confirms that a key contributor to the stagnant low wages that millions of American working people continue to labor under is simple: out-of-date state minimum wage laws. […]
Child poverty rates highest in states that haven’t raised minimum wage
Analysis shows that North Carolina remains stuck among the lowest performing states Of the 20 states that have failed to raise the minimum wage above the federal $7.25 an hour standard, 16 have more than 12% of their children living in poverty, according to a States Newsroom analysis of wage and poverty data. Anti-poverty advocates […]
Veteran economist explains the deal on debt, deficits and economic recovery in simple, two-minute video
If you’re among the people who find themselves worrying about public debt and deficit spending in the wake of recent decisions to spend big federal dollars on economic recovery, be sure to check out and share this video from veteran economist Josh Bivens of the Economic Policy Institute. His basic message: borrowing isn’t always a […]
Chump change: Romney-Cotton minimum wage proposal leaves 27 million workers without a pay increase
Those who had high hopes for a serious minimum wage proposal from the Republican Party will be disappointed: The recent proposal released by Sens. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) would not even increase the minimum wage to 1960s levels, after adjusting for inflation. It is a meager increase that fails to address the problem of low pay in the U.S. economy.
Report: “50 reasons the Trump administration is bad for workers”
Intimidating local health departments on behalf of the meat-packing industry. Excluding millions of workers from paid leave. Pushing for lower wages for migrant workers. These are just three of the 50 reasons the Trump administration is bad for workers, according to a recent report published by the Economic Policy Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank […]
Video explains why “Medicare for All”-like program would boost freedom, improve the jobs market
While he doesn’t attempt to describe it as a perfect solution, Economic Policy Institute Director of Research Josh Bivens has created a compelling new two-minute video that busts several myths about what would happen if the U.S. moved toward a Medicare for All-like program. Check it out below and click here to read the Institute’s […]
Must reads: Economists agree that aggressive federal action is needed to ease the recession
For those with some time on their hands today (i.e. just about everyone), be sure to check out a pair of articles from experts at the Economic Policy Institute and the Center for Economic and Policy Research. As EPI’s Josh Bivens notes in “Coronavirus shock will likely claim 3 million jobs by summer: Policy is […]
The nation’s public schools remain segregated more than 60 years after Brown v. Board of Education
It’s been more than six decades since the Supreme Court declared “separate but unequal” schools unconstitutional. But despite the 1954 landmark ruling in Brown v. Board of Education, the nation’s schools remain heavily segregated by race and ethnicity, according to an instructive brief published by Economic Policy Institute (EPI) to highlight education issues for Blach History Month. Read EPI’s brief here. EPI used data from the National […]