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...
Heat is a known danger for workers, and it’s only getting worse. But there’s no federal law protecting workers from extreme heat. 🥵
7 states—CA, CO, MD, MN, NV, OR, WA—have passed state heat standards of their own. The rest of the country should follow their lead. 1/
7 states—CA, CO, MD, MN, NV, OR, WA—have passed state heat standards of their own. The rest of the country should follow their lead. 1/
Workplace health and safety standards: State solutions to the U.S. worker rights crisis
What does current federal law say about workplace health and safety? The federal Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act—passed in 1970 after decades of fierce advocacy by organized labor and its al...
www.epi.org
November 10, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Heat is a known danger for workers, and it’s only getting worse. But there’s no federal law protecting workers from extreme heat. 🥵
7 states—CA, CO, MD, MN, NV, OR, WA—have passed state heat standards of their own. The rest of the country should follow their lead. 1/
7 states—CA, CO, MD, MN, NV, OR, WA—have passed state heat standards of their own. The rest of the country should follow their lead. 1/
Enrolled in the healthcare marketplace? @centeronbudget.bsky.social has some tips so you're not caught off guard with by premium increases.
November 7, 2025 at 8:53 PM
Enrolled in the healthcare marketplace? @centeronbudget.bsky.social has some tips so you're not caught off guard with by premium increases.
In recent years, lawmakers in many states—including AR, FL, IA, WV, and VA—have rolled back child labor protections.
Other states—like CA, CO, IL, and MN—are passing new laws that protect kids in the workplace.
Is your state doing enough? 🧐
Other states—like CA, CO, IL, and MN—are passing new laws that protect kids in the workplace.
Is your state doing enough? 🧐
Child labor standards: State solutions to the U.S. worker rights crisis
What does current federal law say about child labor? The 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) sets guidelines for the hours and nonhazardous jobs for which employers can hire minors under 16. The FLSA...
www.epi.org
November 7, 2025 at 5:09 PM
In recent years, lawmakers in many states—including AR, FL, IA, WV, and VA—have rolled back child labor protections.
Other states—like CA, CO, IL, and MN—are passing new laws that protect kids in the workplace.
Is your state doing enough? 🧐
Other states—like CA, CO, IL, and MN—are passing new laws that protect kids in the workplace.
Is your state doing enough? 🧐
When federal data is suppressed EPI's @elisegould.bsky.social turns to state-level information for the latest read on jobs. See the latest →
November 6, 2025 at 10:23 PM
When federal data is suppressed EPI's @elisegould.bsky.social turns to state-level information for the latest read on jobs. See the latest →
Reposted by Economic Policy Institute
Mayor-Elect Mamdani proposed increasing NYC's minimum wage to $30 by 2030. EPI recently broke down what it might take to address the high cost of living and create a fairer economy in NYC. 🧵
A ‘$30 by 2030’ minimum wage in New York City is a bold proposal: The first step is giving the city the freedom to set its own wage floor
Last spring, New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani proposed a “$30 by 2030” minimum wage for New York City workers.{{1}} Ambitious strategies to raise wages and lower costs are needed given t...
www.epi.org
November 5, 2025 at 12:45 PM
Mayor-Elect Mamdani proposed increasing NYC's minimum wage to $30 by 2030. EPI recently broke down what it might take to address the high cost of living and create a fairer economy in NYC. 🧵
Some employers pay their workers w/ electronic pay cards instead of checks or direct deposit. But pay cards create new risks—like potential bank fees--that can prevent workers from accessing their full wages. Does your state have rules in place for pay cards?
Wage payment: State solutions to the U.S. worker rights crisis
What does current federal law say about wage payment? The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)—which establishes wage and hour standards that apply to most workers at private businesses with annual revenue...
www.epi.org
November 6, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Some employers pay their workers w/ electronic pay cards instead of checks or direct deposit. But pay cards create new risks—like potential bank fees--that can prevent workers from accessing their full wages. Does your state have rules in place for pay cards?
Under federal law, agricultural workers are exempt from the minimum wage. That’s why states like CA, WA, CO, & ME have passed legislation ensuring that farm workers in their states are entitled to the state minimum wage. Are farmworkers protected in your state?
Minimum wage: State solutions to the U.S. worker rights crisis
What does current federal law say about minimum wages? The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) establishes a “floor under wages” mandating that employers pay covered employees no less than a minimum hourl...
www.epi.org
November 5, 2025 at 9:39 PM
Under federal law, agricultural workers are exempt from the minimum wage. That’s why states like CA, WA, CO, & ME have passed legislation ensuring that farm workers in their states are entitled to the state minimum wage. Are farmworkers protected in your state?
Mayor-Elect Mamdani proposed increasing NYC's minimum wage to $30 by 2030. EPI recently broke down what it might take to address the high cost of living and create a fairer economy in NYC. 🧵
A ‘$30 by 2030’ minimum wage in New York City is a bold proposal: The first step is giving the city the freedom to set its own wage floor
Last spring, New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani proposed a “$30 by 2030” minimum wage for New York City workers.{{1}} Ambitious strategies to raise wages and lower costs are needed given t...
www.epi.org
November 5, 2025 at 12:45 PM
Mayor-Elect Mamdani proposed increasing NYC's minimum wage to $30 by 2030. EPI recently broke down what it might take to address the high cost of living and create a fairer economy in NYC. 🧵
Since 1938, workers have counted on overtime pay when working over 40 hrs/week. But Project 2025 proposes allowing to skirt the rules. States need to act now to defend/protect workers’ right to overtime pay. @dskamper.bsky.social and @jensherer.bsky.social describe how ↴
Overtime pay: State solutions to the U.S. worker rights crisis
What does current federal law say about overtime pay? The overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) provide protections to most hourly workers and many low-salaried workers, guarantee...
www.epi.org
November 4, 2025 at 2:45 PM
Since 1938, workers have counted on overtime pay when working over 40 hrs/week. But Project 2025 proposes allowing to skirt the rules. States need to act now to defend/protect workers’ right to overtime pay. @dskamper.bsky.social and @jensherer.bsky.social describe how ↴
School bus driver employment is still almost ten percent lower than in 2019, but has increased modestly in the last year.
↳ This modest progress appears to be driven by growing wages for bus drivers. The hourly median wage for these workers grew 4.2% in the last year. 🧵
↳ This modest progress appears to be driven by growing wages for bus drivers. The hourly median wage for these workers grew 4.2% in the last year. 🧵
The school bus driver shortage has improved slightly but continues to stress K–12 public education
The school bus driver shortage continues to play out across the country, making it more challenging for students to get to school and placing additional burdens on the K–12 public education system. As...
www.epi.org
November 3, 2025 at 5:15 PM
School bus driver employment is still almost ten percent lower than in 2019, but has increased modestly in the last year.
↳ This modest progress appears to be driven by growing wages for bus drivers. The hourly median wage for these workers grew 4.2% in the last year. 🧵
↳ This modest progress appears to be driven by growing wages for bus drivers. The hourly median wage for these workers grew 4.2% in the last year. 🧵
Since the federal Occupational Safety and Health Admin was created, fatalities and work-related injuries have dropped by 65%...even while the US workforce has doubled in size.
BUT with Trump attacking worker protections, states need to step in to ensure workplace safety.
BUT with Trump attacking worker protections, states need to step in to ensure workplace safety.
Workplace health and safety standards: State solutions to the U.S. worker rights crisis
What does current federal law say about workplace health and safety? The federal Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act—passed in 1970 after decades of fierce advocacy by organized labor and its al...
www.epi.org
November 3, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Since the federal Occupational Safety and Health Admin was created, fatalities and work-related injuries have dropped by 65%...even while the US workforce has doubled in size.
BUT with Trump attacking worker protections, states need to step in to ensure workplace safety.
BUT with Trump attacking worker protections, states need to step in to ensure workplace safety.
Before 2008, workers in every state were guaranteed 26 weeks of unemployment insurance if they lost a job. Today, many states have cut back benefits, some to as little as 12 weeks. With the economy teetering, unemployment benefits are more important than ever.
Unemployment insurance: State solutions to the U.S. worker rights crisis
What does current federal law say about unemployment insurance? Established in the wake of the Great Depression through the Social Security Act of 1935, unemployment insurance (UI) is a critical safet...
www.epi.org
October 31, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Before 2008, workers in every state were guaranteed 26 weeks of unemployment insurance if they lost a job. Today, many states have cut back benefits, some to as little as 12 weeks. With the economy teetering, unemployment benefits are more important than ever.
A strong labor market with high demand for workers is a necessity to get as many willing workers as possible employed.
Policy choices---funding SNAP, investing in child care & education, keeping insurance affordable–-affect labor force participation.
Policy choices---funding SNAP, investing in child care & education, keeping insurance affordable–-affect labor force participation.
US labor force participation has increased over the past decade, according to @elisegould.bsky.social's new report 📈
To keep this trend going, policymakers need to prioritize tight labor markets and remove barriers that keep would-be workers on the sidelines:
www.epi.org/publication/...
To keep this trend going, policymakers need to prioritize tight labor markets and remove barriers that keep would-be workers on the sidelines:
www.epi.org/publication/...
Good news and bad news about U.S. labor force participation: Many headwinds from the 2010s are gone, but we’re not investing enough in the future
Key takeaways The last decade marks a shift in the prime-age labor force participation rate (LFPR). It moved away from a long-term decline toward rebounded participation in the wake of strong labor ma...
www.epi.org
October 30, 2025 at 6:01 PM
A strong labor market with high demand for workers is a necessity to get as many willing workers as possible employed.
Policy choices---funding SNAP, investing in child care & education, keeping insurance affordable–-affect labor force participation.
Policy choices---funding SNAP, investing in child care & education, keeping insurance affordable–-affect labor force participation.
AL, AR, & MS have no state agencies to enforce nondiscrimination laws. As Trump dismantles the federal agencies that enforce nondiscrimination laws, workers in these states are at serious risk.
Workplace nondiscrimination protections: State solutions to the U.S. worker rights crisis
What does current federal law say about workplace nondiscrimination protections? Discrimination in the workplace—either in employment, promotion, job assignments, pay, benefits, discipline, discharge,...
www.epi.org
October 30, 2025 at 1:44 PM
AL, AR, & MS have no state agencies to enforce nondiscrimination laws. As Trump dismantles the federal agencies that enforce nondiscrimination laws, workers in these states are at serious risk.
In Minnesota, new hires must receive written notice of basic info like the employer’s name/address, work location, & rate of pay. Seems simple, but having these basics in writing can be key to resolving a wage theft case. How does your state protect you from wage theft?
Wage payment: State solutions to the U.S. worker rights crisis
What does current federal law say about wage payment? The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)—which establishes wage and hour standards that apply to most workers at private businesses with annual revenue...
www.epi.org
October 29, 2025 at 2:20 PM
In Minnesota, new hires must receive written notice of basic info like the employer’s name/address, work location, & rate of pay. Seems simple, but having these basics in writing can be key to resolving a wage theft case. How does your state protect you from wage theft?
Reposted by Economic Policy Institute
DOGE’s deterioration of the Social Security Administration through mass firings has led to extremely long wait times for customer service.
Nothing about this is efficient.
Read the full interactive report here:
Nothing about this is efficient.
Read the full interactive report here:
Callers to Social Security wait for hours to get help. Hear their ordeals.
Millions of seniors and disabled people call Social Security’s 1-800 number every month. What they experience is often maddening.
www.washingtonpost.com
October 28, 2025 at 5:13 PM
DOGE’s deterioration of the Social Security Administration through mass firings has led to extremely long wait times for customer service.
Nothing about this is efficient.
Read the full interactive report here:
Nothing about this is efficient.
Read the full interactive report here:
Many states have weaker child labor laws than federal standards: In Idaho, 14-year-olds can work up to 54 hrs/week. In Iowa, 15-year-olds can work hazardous jobs. With Trump threatening to undo federal labor laws, states need to update their standards to protect kids.
Child labor standards: State solutions to the U.S. worker rights crisis
What does current federal law say about child labor? The 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) sets guidelines for the hours and nonhazardous jobs for which employers can hire minors under 16. The FLSA...
www.epi.org
October 28, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Many states have weaker child labor laws than federal standards: In Idaho, 14-year-olds can work up to 54 hrs/week. In Iowa, 15-year-olds can work hazardous jobs. With Trump threatening to undo federal labor laws, states need to update their standards to protect kids.
Reposted by Economic Policy Institute
New research from @aaronsojourner.org (Upjohn Inst.) and Joseph Pickens (USNA) finds that NYC’s Fair Workweek Law gave fast-food workers more predictable schedules without costing jobs. #LaborLaws #NYC #FairWorkWeek #EconSKy
Do fair workweek laws affect labor markets?
www.upjohn.org
October 21, 2025 at 7:39 PM
New research from @aaronsojourner.org (Upjohn Inst.) and Joseph Pickens (USNA) finds that NYC’s Fair Workweek Law gave fast-food workers more predictable schedules without costing jobs. #LaborLaws #NYC #FairWorkWeek #EconSKy
With the looming lapse of SNAP benefits due to the federal shutdown, let's revisit @icidmartinez.bsky.social analysis of who gets hurt the most.
Cuts to SNAP benefits will disproportionately harm families of color and children
Republicans in Congress and the Trump administration passed a budget blueprint to pay for tax cuts that overwhelmingly favor rich households at the expense of working people. Communities of color will...
www.epi.org
October 27, 2025 at 6:33 PM
With the looming lapse of SNAP benefits due to the federal shutdown, let's revisit @icidmartinez.bsky.social analysis of who gets hurt the most.
19 states automatically raise their minimum wage every year to adjust for inflation (including NJ, ME, MT, and SD). Has your state ensured the minimum wage will automatically keep up with rising prices? Learn more: www.epi.org/publication/...
Minimum wage: State solutions to the U.S. worker rights crisis
What does current federal law say about minimum wages? The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) establishes a “floor under wages” mandating that employers pay covered employees no less than a minimum hourl...
www.epi.org
October 27, 2025 at 4:29 PM
19 states automatically raise their minimum wage every year to adjust for inflation (including NJ, ME, MT, and SD). Has your state ensured the minimum wage will automatically keep up with rising prices? Learn more: www.epi.org/publication/...
Reposted by Economic Policy Institute
Without BLS monthly jobs and JOLTS reports, unemployment insurance claims data provide the most up-to-date read on the labor market. As the shutdown continues, initial claims by federal workers shoot up for the third week in a row. Over 10k initial claims reported nationally last week.
#EconSky
#EconSky
October 24, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Without BLS monthly jobs and JOLTS reports, unemployment insurance claims data provide the most up-to-date read on the labor market. As the shutdown continues, initial claims by federal workers shoot up for the third week in a row. Over 10k initial claims reported nationally last week.
#EconSky
#EconSky
Millions of workers earning less than $60k/year were on track to get overtime pay until Trump took it away. But states can step in and make sure workers get the overtime pay they’ve earned. AK, CA, CO, ME, NY, and WA have done so. Has your state? Learn more: www.epi.org/publication/...
Overtime pay: State solutions to the U.S. worker rights crisis
What does current federal law say about overtime pay? The overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) provide protections to most hourly workers and many low-salaried workers, guarantee...
www.epi.org
October 24, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Millions of workers earning less than $60k/year were on track to get overtime pay until Trump took it away. But states can step in and make sure workers get the overtime pay they’ve earned. AK, CA, CO, ME, NY, and WA have done so. Has your state? Learn more: www.epi.org/publication/...
President Trump issued a $100,000 fee for H-1B visas. What will be the impact and is it enough to fix the program and motivate tech to hire Americans?
🎧 EPI’s Daniel Costa joined @usatoday.com The Excerpt with @danataylor.bsky.social to break it all down
🎧 EPI’s Daniel Costa joined @usatoday.com The Excerpt with @danataylor.bsky.social to break it all down
Will changes to the H-1B visa program preserve jobs for Americans?
The H-1B visa program — a key pipeline for skilled foreign workers in tech — has recently been upended by President Donald Trump. A recent executive order now mandates that companies to pay $100,000 p...
www.epi.org
October 23, 2025 at 8:01 PM
President Trump issued a $100,000 fee for H-1B visas. What will be the impact and is it enough to fix the program and motivate tech to hire Americans?
🎧 EPI’s Daniel Costa joined @usatoday.com The Excerpt with @danataylor.bsky.social to break it all down
🎧 EPI’s Daniel Costa joined @usatoday.com The Excerpt with @danataylor.bsky.social to break it all down
24 states & DC have discrimination laws that are more expansive than federal law.
19 states offer weaker protections. With Trump gutting federal protections, state laws are more important than ever.
How well does your state protect you from discrimination? www.epi.org/publication/...
19 states offer weaker protections. With Trump gutting federal protections, state laws are more important than ever.
How well does your state protect you from discrimination? www.epi.org/publication/...
Workplace nondiscrimination protections: State solutions to the U.S. worker rights crisis
What does current federal law say about workplace nondiscrimination protections? Discrimination in the workplace—either in employment, promotion, job assignments, pay, benefits, discipline, discharge,...
www.epi.org
October 21, 2025 at 6:14 PM
24 states & DC have discrimination laws that are more expansive than federal law.
19 states offer weaker protections. With Trump gutting federal protections, state laws are more important than ever.
How well does your state protect you from discrimination? www.epi.org/publication/...
19 states offer weaker protections. With Trump gutting federal protections, state laws are more important than ever.
How well does your state protect you from discrimination? www.epi.org/publication/...
Reposted by Economic Policy Institute
The latest initial federal UI claims data swamp any increases we've seen so far this year. Since the last data point in Sept, initial federal claims ballooned more than 10 times. Claims rose from 588 on Sept 27 to 7,264 claims on Oct 11 due to an uptick in laid off workers and the shutdown.
#EconSky
#EconSky
October 17, 2025 at 4:00 PM
The latest initial federal UI claims data swamp any increases we've seen so far this year. Since the last data point in Sept, initial federal claims ballooned more than 10 times. Claims rose from 588 on Sept 27 to 7,264 claims on Oct 11 due to an uptick in laid off workers and the shutdown.
#EconSky
#EconSky