Economic Policy Institute

Hurricanes Milton and Helene will likely distort tomorrow's jobs report for October, but there’s no reason to be spooked about the labor market 🎃 These jobs are expected to rebound quickly & add to job growth in the coming months. https://lnkd.in/eHPWfg92

In 2023, Hispanics accounted for nearly 1 in 5 (19%) of the US labor force. The strong labor market over the last 2 years has produced historic employment gains for Hispanic workers. But behind these numbers, differences remain among demographic groups: https://lnkd.in/eHY4GRT6

States and localities have until December 31 to allocate their funding from the American Rescue Plan Act. ARPA has been critical in rebuilding & sustaining public services since the pandemic. https://lnkd.in/ee35Tysg

How immigration benefits the economy: ✅better wages and work opportunities for all workers ✅increased economic growth ✅significant contributions to the tax base But immigrants are often denied full worker rights & their status is used against them https://lnkd.in/eMnjdv2W

Ending the teacher shortage is just one part of the public education crisis. We need more funding for public education—especially for high-poverty school districts. More money for education = more benefits for students and society at large. https://lnkd.in/gYdTYVc6

7 reasons why today’s economy is stronger than it was before the pandemic: 1️⃣ Monthly job growth is faster 2️⃣ The unemployment rate is lower 3️⃣ The share of adults aged 25–54 with a job is higher 4️⃣ Inflation-adjusted wages have reached a record high and are growing more rapidly 5️⃣ Inflation-adjusted GDP growth is rising more rapidly 6️⃣ The rate of new business formations is far higher 7️⃣ The stock market—adjusted for inflation—is higher and has grown much more rapidly Learn more about the numbers behind these metrics on our blog! https://lnkd.in/gkGKNG6K

Child labor violations are on the rise, and many states are trying to weaken child labor laws. That's why EPI, Governing for Impact, and the Child Labor Coalition released a set of proposals the Biden-Harris admin should take to strengthen child labor protections: https://lnkd.in/eUcSU6jX

254,000 jobs were added in September and job growth in July & August was stronger than first reported. This is just the latest confirmation that the US labor market is very strong 💪 What's been driving this strong labor market? Strong fiscal relief & recovery measures early in the pandemic Today's strong labor market proves that powerful policies can help restore low unemployment very quickly after recessions https://lnkd.in/ejJgSMAA

News outlets have reported conflicting stories on the teacher shortage, so let's set the record straight: 🔸teacher shortages existed before the pandemic 🔸the pandemic made these shortages worse 🔸we are currently back to pre-pandemic levels of a teacher shortage 🔸but that shortage still exists One of the biggest contributing factors to the teacher shortage is low pay. As of 2023, teachers were paid 26.6% less ⬇️ than workers with similar education. Improving teacher pay would draw more eligible candidates AND help retain teachers for longer. Teacher shortages lead to larger class sizes, stressed and over-burdened teachers, and financial strain on the education system. Policymakers need to raise the pay of our nation's public school teachers! 🍎 👩🏫 ✏️ https://lnkd.in/eF-JmmAg

Some employers use AI to exacerbate longstanding worker issues like 🔸discrimination 🔸unsafe working conditions 🔸loss of privacy Policymakers must address the underlying condition that allows employers to use AI in this manner: the imbalance of power between businesses and their workers. That's why we released a road map of worker-centered AI policy recommendations with the Center for American Progress, Congressional Progressive Caucus Center, and National Employment Law Project. Policymakers should use this road map to establish meaningful solutions that improve outcomes for workers in the era of AI and beyond. https://lnkd.in/eMgs6-_8