Economic Policy Institute
@epi.org
We're a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank using the tools of economics to defend & promote workers' interests in economic policy discussions.
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epi.org
Podcast: epi.org/podcast/
Newsletter: epi.org/signup/
Federal Policy Watch: epi.org/policywatch
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Economic Policy Institute
@epi.org
· Apr 28
The federal minimum wage is officially a poverty wage in 2025
In 2025, the federal minimum wage is officially a “poverty wage.” The annual earnings of a single adult working full-time, year-round at $7.25 an hour now fall below the poverty threshold of $15,650 (...
www.epi.org
In 2025, the federal minimum wage is officially a poverty wage ⚠️
In the US, no one can live with dignity on $7.25/hr.
But instead of raising the minimum wage, Republicans are trying to cut Medicaid & make it harder for workers to access basic needs programs like SNAP: www.epi.org/blog/the-fed...
In the US, no one can live with dignity on $7.25/hr.
But instead of raising the minimum wage, Republicans are trying to cut Medicaid & make it harder for workers to access basic needs programs like SNAP: www.epi.org/blog/the-fed...
You read them, now we rank them.
Here's counting down EPI's top 10 publications from 2025 -- happy holiday reading one and all!
Starting off at 10, it's a banger every year (just pay teachers, people!)...The teacher pay report 1/
Here's counting down EPI's top 10 publications from 2025 -- happy holiday reading one and all!
Starting off at 10, it's a banger every year (just pay teachers, people!)...The teacher pay report 1/
The teacher pay penalty reached a record high in 2024: Three decades of leaving public school teachers behind
Over the past three decades, stagnant weekly wages of public school teachers have fallen further and further behind those of college graduates who chose other careers, resulting in an ever increasing ...
www.epi.org
December 19, 2025 at 11:41 PM
You read them, now we rank them.
Here's counting down EPI's top 10 publications from 2025 -- happy holiday reading one and all!
Starting off at 10, it's a banger every year (just pay teachers, people!)...The teacher pay report 1/
Here's counting down EPI's top 10 publications from 2025 -- happy holiday reading one and all!
Starting off at 10, it's a banger every year (just pay teachers, people!)...The teacher pay report 1/
Reposted by Economic Policy Institute
The ACA premium tax credits save lives. For Black Americans in 10 metro areas, the expiration of these credits means:
📝 170,000+ losing health insurance
💰 $740M more in annual premiums
💀 200+ preventable deaths each year
That’s the Republican health care agenda.
New from us & @epi.org.
📝 170,000+ losing health insurance
💰 $740M more in annual premiums
💀 200+ preventable deaths each year
That’s the Republican health care agenda.
New from us & @epi.org.
Ending ACA tax credits would impose high costs on Black Americans in 10 major metro areas: Over 170,000 losing health insurance, $740 million more in annual premiums, and more than 200 preventable dea...
If Congress allows the enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits to expire, millions of working families will lose health care coverage while millions of others will face sharply higher p...
www.epi.org
December 19, 2025 at 4:42 PM
The ACA premium tax credits save lives. For Black Americans in 10 metro areas, the expiration of these credits means:
📝 170,000+ losing health insurance
💰 $740M more in annual premiums
💀 200+ preventable deaths each year
That’s the Republican health care agenda.
New from us & @epi.org.
📝 170,000+ losing health insurance
💰 $740M more in annual premiums
💀 200+ preventable deaths each year
That’s the Republican health care agenda.
New from us & @epi.org.
Signs of labor market softening amid significant delays in data availability due to the government shutdown according to @kdoc-writes.bsky.social
The latest on the State Unemployment by Race & Ethnicity →
The latest on the State Unemployment by Race & Ethnicity →
2025 Q3 | State Unemployment by Race and Ethnicity
Signs of labor market softening amid significant delays in data availability due to the government shutdown 2025 Q3 • Updated December 2025 The third quarter of 2025 saw a government shutdown-induced ...
www.epi.org
December 19, 2025 at 6:17 PM
Signs of labor market softening amid significant delays in data availability due to the government shutdown according to @kdoc-writes.bsky.social
The latest on the State Unemployment by Race & Ethnicity →
The latest on the State Unemployment by Race & Ethnicity →
Trump’s DOJ is suing Minneapolis Public Schools over a union contract it falsely labels "discriminatory" against white teachers.
@dskamper.bsky.social & Valerie Wilson set the record straight—showing how the contract protects all educators while preserving a diverse teaching workforce.
@dskamper.bsky.social & Valerie Wilson set the record straight—showing how the contract protects all educators while preserving a diverse teaching workforce.
The Department of Justice is making a mistake by suing Minneapolis Public Schools: The union contract protects all workers while ensuring that Black and brown educators can hold on to good jobs
The U.S. Department of Justice filed suit on Tuesday, December 11, against the Minneapolis school district, alleging that the contract the district signed with the teachers’ union—the Minneapolis Fede...
www.epi.org
December 18, 2025 at 9:42 PM
Trump’s DOJ is suing Minneapolis Public Schools over a union contract it falsely labels "discriminatory" against white teachers.
@dskamper.bsky.social & Valerie Wilson set the record straight—showing how the contract protects all educators while preserving a diverse teaching workforce.
@dskamper.bsky.social & Valerie Wilson set the record straight—showing how the contract protects all educators while preserving a diverse teaching workforce.
Millions of working families will lose coverage and millions more face sharply higher premiums if the ACA tax credits expire.
New analysis from @kdoc-writes.bsky.social and @groundwork.bsky.social's Breyon Williams find Black Americans would face deep losses and financial harm.
New analysis from @kdoc-writes.bsky.social and @groundwork.bsky.social's Breyon Williams find Black Americans would face deep losses and financial harm.
Ending ACA tax credits would impose high costs on Black Americans in 10 major metro areas: Over 170,000 losing health insurance, $740 million more in annual premiums, and more than 200 preventable dea...
If Congress allows the enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits to expire, millions of working families will lose health care coverage while millions of others will face sharply higher p...
www.epi.org
December 18, 2025 at 7:10 PM
Millions of working families will lose coverage and millions more face sharply higher premiums if the ACA tax credits expire.
New analysis from @kdoc-writes.bsky.social and @groundwork.bsky.social's Breyon Williams find Black Americans would face deep losses and financial harm.
New analysis from @kdoc-writes.bsky.social and @groundwork.bsky.social's Breyon Williams find Black Americans would face deep losses and financial harm.
Reposted by Economic Policy Institute
"Nineteen states will increase their minimum wages on January 1, boosting earnings for more than 8.3 million workers by a total of $5 billion." @epi.org
ow.ly/301a50XKUcb
ow.ly/301a50XKUcb
Over 8.3 million workers will benefit from minimum wage increases on January 1: Nineteen states will raise their minimum wages. Here’s where.
Nineteen states will increase their minimum wages on January 1, boosting earnings for more than 8.3 million workers by a total of $5 billion. In addition, 47 cities and counties will raise their minim...
ow.ly
December 18, 2025 at 4:45 PM
"Nineteen states will increase their minimum wages on January 1, boosting earnings for more than 8.3 million workers by a total of $5 billion." @epi.org
ow.ly/301a50XKUcb
ow.ly/301a50XKUcb
Reposted by Economic Policy Institute
Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released the latest data on inflation and real wages. That's where the rubber meets the road on affordability. A weakening economy means workers can't secure higher wages and their standard of living suffers.
#NumbersDay #EconSky @epi.org
#NumbersDay #EconSky @epi.org
December 18, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released the latest data on inflation and real wages. That's where the rubber meets the road on affordability. A weakening economy means workers can't secure higher wages and their standard of living suffers.
#NumbersDay #EconSky @epi.org
#NumbersDay #EconSky @epi.org
Reposted by Economic Policy Institute
Earlier this week, we learned that the pace of nominal wage growth has been gradually slowing over the last several months. As the unemployment rate rises—now at 4.6%—workers struggle more to find jobs and have less leverage when it comes to demanding higher wages.
#EconSky @epi.org
#EconSky @epi.org
December 18, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Reposted by Economic Policy Institute
The president is touting the job losses in DC as a win against bureaucracy. @elisegould.bsky.social and @epi.org have done a fantastic job tracking and visualizing that data.
The greater DC area is historically the most *accurate* (albeit slower) measure of a downturn.
The greater DC area is historically the most *accurate* (albeit slower) measure of a downturn.
December 17, 2025 at 12:08 AM
The president is touting the job losses in DC as a win against bureaucracy. @elisegould.bsky.social and @epi.org have done a fantastic job tracking and visualizing that data.
The greater DC area is historically the most *accurate* (albeit slower) measure of a downturn.
The greater DC area is historically the most *accurate* (albeit slower) measure of a downturn.
One reason to look forward to 2026: 19 states enact minimum wage increases that will boost pay for over 8.3 million workers.
💵 For the first time, workers in a state with a $15/hr wage floor will outnumber those in states with the federal minimum of $7.25/hr—a poverty wage.
1/
💵 For the first time, workers in a state with a $15/hr wage floor will outnumber those in states with the federal minimum of $7.25/hr—a poverty wage.
1/
Over 8.3 million workers will benefit from minimum wage increases on January 1: Nineteen states will raise their minimum wages. Here’s where.
Nineteen states will increase their minimum wages on January 1, boosting earnings for more than 8.3 million workers by a total of $5 billion. In addition, 47 cities and counties will raise their minim...
www.epi.org
December 16, 2025 at 7:58 PM
One reason to look forward to 2026: 19 states enact minimum wage increases that will boost pay for over 8.3 million workers.
💵 For the first time, workers in a state with a $15/hr wage floor will outnumber those in states with the federal minimum of $7.25/hr—a poverty wage.
1/
💵 For the first time, workers in a state with a $15/hr wage floor will outnumber those in states with the federal minimum of $7.25/hr—a poverty wage.
1/
Reposted by Economic Policy Institute
💡 Did you know that if we #ScrapTheCap on Social Security taxes, many of those who'd pay more into the program would get more benefits back?
📊 @epi.org has more details: www.epi.org/blog/should-...
📊 @epi.org has more details: www.epi.org/blog/should-...
Should high earners support scrapping Social Security’s cap on taxable earnings?
Earnings above a cap aren’t subject to the payroll taxes that fund Social Security. As a result, billionaires pay the same tax as someone earning $176,100 in 2025 (the cap is indexed to the average wa...
www.epi.org
December 15, 2025 at 3:00 PM
💡 Did you know that if we #ScrapTheCap on Social Security taxes, many of those who'd pay more into the program would get more benefits back?
📊 @epi.org has more details: www.epi.org/blog/should-...
📊 @epi.org has more details: www.epi.org/blog/should-...
Jumbo-size #JobsDay as BLS makes up for lost time (although there's some lost time)-- as ever @elisegould.bsky.social is on hand to help you digest it.
Today the BLS releases two months of payroll data and one month of household data. A little jarring to see the first gap in data on the unemployment rate in the history of the survey. Second thing to note is that the unemployment rate is now 4.6% a significant rise from 4.0% in January.
#NumbersDay
#NumbersDay
December 16, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Jumbo-size #JobsDay as BLS makes up for lost time (although there's some lost time)-- as ever @elisegould.bsky.social is on hand to help you digest it.
Reposted by Economic Policy Institute
Destroying jobs, terrorizing communities. Funded by gutting Medicaid and food assistance to fill an unaccountable slush fund for secret police
Masked men wearing ICE vests—but who refused to present a warrant or identify themselves—roped off a construction site, trapping two men on a roof for hours in subzero temps. Protesters gathered. Masked men eventually left, and one man on the roof was taken away by ambulance kstp.com/kstp-news/to...
December 14, 2025 at 10:46 PM
Destroying jobs, terrorizing communities. Funded by gutting Medicaid and food assistance to fill an unaccountable slush fund for secret police
Trump’s deportation plan would wipe out 394,000 direct care jobs, hurting immigrant AND U.S.-born workers.
Families would lose vital home care. States like NY could lose nearly half their care workforce. Mass deportations = a care crisis. New from @benzipperer.org @domesticworkers.bsky.social
Families would lose vital home care. States like NY could lose nearly half their care workforce. Mass deportations = a care crisis. New from @benzipperer.org @domesticworkers.bsky.social
Trump’s deportation plans threaten 400,000 direct care jobs: Older adults and people with disabilities could lose vital in-home support
If the Trump administration follows through on its goal of deporting 4 million people over four years, the direct care industry would lose close to 400,000 jobs—affecting 274,000 immigrant and 120,000...
www.epi.org
December 15, 2025 at 1:24 PM
Trump’s deportation plan would wipe out 394,000 direct care jobs, hurting immigrant AND U.S.-born workers.
Families would lose vital home care. States like NY could lose nearly half their care workforce. Mass deportations = a care crisis. New from @benzipperer.org @domesticworkers.bsky.social
Families would lose vital home care. States like NY could lose nearly half their care workforce. Mass deportations = a care crisis. New from @benzipperer.org @domesticworkers.bsky.social
Some may say the only solution is to eat the rich. @joshbivens-econ.bsky.social proposes we tax them instead.
December 12, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Some may say the only solution is to eat the rich. @joshbivens-econ.bsky.social proposes we tax them instead.
A can't miss conversation between two of the best out there in @hcrichardson.bsky.social and @pkrugman.bsky.social.
Also brb because we're all getting "left-leaning but scrupulously honest" tattoos.
Also brb because we're all getting "left-leaning but scrupulously honest" tattoos.
Live with Heather Cox Richardson
A recording from Paul Krugman and Heather Cox Richardson's live video
open.substack.com
December 12, 2025 at 9:56 PM
A can't miss conversation between two of the best out there in @hcrichardson.bsky.social and @pkrugman.bsky.social.
Also brb because we're all getting "left-leaning but scrupulously honest" tattoos.
Also brb because we're all getting "left-leaning but scrupulously honest" tattoos.
FUN FACT FRIDAY: SOCIAL SECURITY EDITION 📣
Did you know: In 2025, millionaires (and billionaires, and trillionaires) pay the same for Social Security as someone earning $176,100? 😲
Say it ain't so @moniquemorrissey.bsky.social
1/
Did you know: In 2025, millionaires (and billionaires, and trillionaires) pay the same for Social Security as someone earning $176,100? 😲
Say it ain't so @moniquemorrissey.bsky.social
1/
Should high earners support scrapping Social Security’s cap on taxable earnings?
Earnings above a cap aren’t subject to the payroll taxes that fund Social Security. As a result, billionaires pay the same tax as someone earning $176,100 in 2025 (the cap is indexed to the average wa...
www.epi.org
December 12, 2025 at 1:58 PM
FUN FACT FRIDAY: SOCIAL SECURITY EDITION 📣
Did you know: In 2025, millionaires (and billionaires, and trillionaires) pay the same for Social Security as someone earning $176,100? 😲
Say it ain't so @moniquemorrissey.bsky.social
1/
Did you know: In 2025, millionaires (and billionaires, and trillionaires) pay the same for Social Security as someone earning $176,100? 😲
Say it ain't so @moniquemorrissey.bsky.social
1/
Reposted by Economic Policy Institute
🚨NEW REPORT: Did Trump really fix NAFTA?: What USMCA failed to do and how to put workers first in North American trade.
Trump pledged to fix “The worst trade deal ever made.” 5 years later, things are only getting worse for US trade and North American workers 👀🧵 ...1/n www.epi.org/publication/...
Trump pledged to fix “The worst trade deal ever made.” 5 years later, things are only getting worse for US trade and North American workers 👀🧵 ...1/n www.epi.org/publication/...
Did Trump really fix NAFTA?: What USMCA failed to do and how to put workers first in North American trade
Trump replaced NAFTA with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement in 2020. But his USMCA has so far failed to make trade work for North American workers.
www.epi.org
December 11, 2025 at 6:18 PM
🚨NEW REPORT: Did Trump really fix NAFTA?: What USMCA failed to do and how to put workers first in North American trade.
Trump pledged to fix “The worst trade deal ever made.” 5 years later, things are only getting worse for US trade and North American workers 👀🧵 ...1/n www.epi.org/publication/...
Trump pledged to fix “The worst trade deal ever made.” 5 years later, things are only getting worse for US trade and North American workers 👀🧵 ...1/n www.epi.org/publication/...
😡 The Senate failure to extend ACA premium subsidies today threatens to throw 2 million people - the equivalent of the entire population of Nebraska - into poverty.
Unlike the predominantly white population of Nebraska, it's people of color who stand to be hardest hit by this cruel inaction.
Unlike the predominantly white population of Nebraska, it's people of color who stand to be hardest hit by this cruel inaction.
The Senate failed to extend ACA premium subsidies again today. @kdoc-writes.bsky.social and I show that these subsidies kept 2 million people out of poverty last year. #EconSky
www.epi.org/blog/new-mea...
www.epi.org/blog/new-mea...
New measure of poverty shows that undoing ACA subsidies will push millions into economic insecurity: Communities of color would be hit hardest by Trump’s health care affordability crisis
A new measure of poverty that accounts for health care needs and resources being developed by the U.S. Census Bureau—the Health Inclusive Poverty Measure (HIPM)—shows that poverty affects even more pe...
www.epi.org
December 11, 2025 at 7:51 PM
😡 The Senate failure to extend ACA premium subsidies today threatens to throw 2 million people - the equivalent of the entire population of Nebraska - into poverty.
Unlike the predominantly white population of Nebraska, it's people of color who stand to be hardest hit by this cruel inaction.
Unlike the predominantly white population of Nebraska, it's people of color who stand to be hardest hit by this cruel inaction.
Reposted by Economic Policy Institute
The latest read on the labor market comes in the unemployment insurance claims data released this morning.
Toplines:
- regular UI claims rose, but appear to be typical for this time of year
- claims for federal workers declined as paychecks resumed after the shutdown furloughs
#EconSky #NumbersDay
Toplines:
- regular UI claims rose, but appear to be typical for this time of year
- claims for federal workers declined as paychecks resumed after the shutdown furloughs
#EconSky #NumbersDay
December 11, 2025 at 2:27 PM
The latest read on the labor market comes in the unemployment insurance claims data released this morning.
Toplines:
- regular UI claims rose, but appear to be typical for this time of year
- claims for federal workers declined as paychecks resumed after the shutdown furloughs
#EconSky #NumbersDay
Toplines:
- regular UI claims rose, but appear to be typical for this time of year
- claims for federal workers declined as paychecks resumed after the shutdown furloughs
#EconSky #NumbersDay
Trump replaced NAFTA with the United States-Mexico-Canada agreement in 2020. With USMCA up for review, @ahecon.bsky.social advocates for a model that protects workers and preserves mutual benefits of trade 1/
Did Trump really fix NAFTA?: What USMCA failed to do and how to put workers first in North American trade
Trump replaced NAFTA with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement in 2020. But his USMCA has so far failed to make trade work for North American workers.
www.epi.org
December 11, 2025 at 1:12 PM
Trump replaced NAFTA with the United States-Mexico-Canada agreement in 2020. With USMCA up for review, @ahecon.bsky.social advocates for a model that protects workers and preserves mutual benefits of trade 1/
Earlier this year, EPI partnered with @darkhorseviz.bsky.social to bring nearly 40 years of data, analysis, and research to life for everyday users. Their team brought design, data, and purpose together in the State of Working America Data Library.
Try right now at data.epi.org 1/
Try right now at data.epi.org 1/
December 10, 2025 at 9:11 PM
Earlier this year, EPI partnered with @darkhorseviz.bsky.social to bring nearly 40 years of data, analysis, and research to life for everyday users. Their team brought design, data, and purpose together in the State of Working America Data Library.
Try right now at data.epi.org 1/
Try right now at data.epi.org 1/
In a spot of good news out of Ohio, Governor DeWine vetoed the GOP bill that would have allowed employers to schedule children as young as 14 to work until 9 p.m. on school nights. 1/
December 10, 2025 at 8:55 PM
In a spot of good news out of Ohio, Governor DeWine vetoed the GOP bill that would have allowed employers to schedule children as young as 14 to work until 9 p.m. on school nights. 1/
Reposted by Economic Policy Institute
The Economic Policy Institute seeks a Congressional Labor Fellow to be based in Washington, DC. Details can be found at: unionjobs.com/listing.php?... #1u #UnionStrong @epi.org
December 5, 2025 at 11:32 PM
The Economic Policy Institute seeks a Congressional Labor Fellow to be based in Washington, DC. Details can be found at: unionjobs.com/listing.php?... #1u #UnionStrong @epi.org
Leader, economist AND poet @hshierholz.bsky.social with a metered take on affordability.
#PayIsAPolicyChoice #affordability
#PayIsAPolicyChoice #affordability
The Affordability Serenity Prayer (idea stolen from @jaredb-econ.bsky.social)
God, grant policymakers the serenity to accept the aspects of the affordability crisis they cannot change (e.g. most prices), the courage to address the aspects they can (e.g. pay), and the wisdom to know the difference.
God, grant policymakers the serenity to accept the aspects of the affordability crisis they cannot change (e.g. most prices), the courage to address the aspects they can (e.g. pay), and the wisdom to know the difference.
Affordability is dominating the discourse. What I don't like about the conversation is that it focuses almost entirely on prices—as if the only way to make life affordable is to make things cheaper. But affordability is determined by prices *and pay.* 1/
December 9, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Leader, economist AND poet @hshierholz.bsky.social with a metered take on affordability.
#PayIsAPolicyChoice #affordability
#PayIsAPolicyChoice #affordability