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How vouchers harm public schools

Voucher programs for schools are rapidly expanding across the country. Under these programs, public budgets provide funding to parents to either send their children to private school or homeschool them.

These programs’ growing popularity raises the question of whether letting public money leave the public school system and subsidize private forms of schooling is a way to improve children’s access to an excellent education.

EPI’s analysis shows that vouchers harm public schools. Read more

- The school bus driver shortage remains severe, and bus driver pay is getting worse
- Today’s teacher shortage is just the tip of the iceberg: Part I and Part 2
- Summer unemployment benefits could increase K–12 support staff incomes by $1.2 billion nationwide
- Improving teacher diversity is key to reducing racial disparities in academic outcomes and addressing the teacher shortage

Over 9.2 million workers will get a raise on January 1 from 21 states raising their minimum wages

Twenty-one states will increase their minimum wages on January 1, raising pay for more than 9.2 million workers by a total of $5.7 billion.

In addition, 48 cities and counties will raise their minimum wages above their state wage floors, mostly in California, Colorado, and Washington. Read more

Nearly half of U.S workers will live in states with at least a $15 minimum wage by 2027

Minimum wage tracker

Most minimum wage studies have found little or no job loss

Low wage workforce tracker

The policies that will determine whether Trump’s labor secretary pick supports workers

President-elect Donald Trump recently announced his nomination of Congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer to serve as Secretary of Labor. She is one of only three House Republicans to co-sponsor the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act and one of only eight Republicans to co-sponsor the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act. Read more

Labor market remains strong, racial gaps persist

The U.S. economy and labor market remained in a strong — though softening — position through the third quarter of 2024. The national unemployment rate across all workers rose slightly to 4.2%.

D.C. and Nevada had the highest overall unemployment rates at 5.6% and 5.5% respectively, and no state saw overall unemployment rate changes greater than 1 percentage point between the second and third quarters of 2024.

Read the full Q3 2024 State unemployment by race and ethnicity report

Latest Research

More than $1.5 billion in stolen wages recovered for workers between 2021 and 2023

December 20, 2024 By Margaret Poydock and Jiayi (Sonia) Zhang Report
How vouchers harm public schools: Calculating the cost of voucher programs to public school districts

December 19, 2024 By Hilary Wething Report
Busting the union busters: The need to improve transparency around union-busting activity

November 13, 2024 Report
The U.S. benefits from immigration but policy reforms needed to maximize gains: Recommendations and a review of key issues to ensure fair wages and labor standards for all workers

October 4, 2024 By Daniel Costa, Josh Bivens, Ben Zipperer, and Monique Morrissey Report
Voter suppression makes the racist and anti-worker Southern model possible: Rooted in Racism and Economic Exploitation: Spotlight

October 1, 2024 By Daniel Perez Report

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EPI in the news

Arizona’s minimum wage to increase this holiday season. Here’s what to know

Relatively few people earn the minimum — only around 3% of Arizonans, according to one study by the Economic Policy Institute, which advocates for higher wages.

Arizona Republic | December 17, 2024
Oh, Never Mind: You didn’t really think he was going to lower prices, did you?

Corporations are entitled to make profits, of course. Indeed, in our economic system we need them to be profitable. But how much is too much — especially considering the astronomical salaries of many corporate executives? According to the Economic Policy Institute, over the past 45 years, top CEO compensation increased by 1,085% (not a typo) while their typical worker’s salary inched up by just 24%.

Dan Rather Substack | December 17, 2024
California Latinas were behind a surge in small businesses during the pandemic. Here’s why

..Latina workers were unemployed in April 2020, according to the Economic Policy Institute. “They turned to entrepreneurship as a…

Sacramento Bee | December 16, 2024
Raising the minimum wage is popular. Are Republicans listening?

“The states that have the option to put these issues on the ballot have seen them met with success repeatedly,” said Jennifer Sherer, an acting deputy director at the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute. “So we’re at this point where, either through ballot initiative or legislation, there are 30 states that have already raised their minimum wage beyond the federal level.”

Politico Morning Shift | December 16, 2024
The Biden overtime rule was struck down. Now, some workers are losing pay raises

The left-leaning Economic Policy Institute notes that in 1975, more than 60% of full-time salaried workers were eligible to earn overtime pay. But over the decades, as earnings increased and the regulation failed to keep pace, the share of covered workers fell sharply — to 7% by 2016.

NPR | December 16, 2024
Mapped: Where the minimum wage will rise in 2025

Source: National Employment Law Project | U.S. Dept. of Labor | National Conference of State Legislatures | Economic Policy Institute

KCRA | December 16, 2024
These Nurses Got a Union — But Say They Can’t Get a Contract Without a Strike

Those delays can weaken union efforts, said Margaret Poydock, a senior researcher at the Economic Policy Institute. “With turnover, it diminishes worker solidarity over time,” said Poydock. Federal labor law allows unionized workers without a contract to vote to decertify an election after one year.

Capital & Main | December 16, 2024

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Authoritative, up-to-date data on the living standards of American workers. State of Working America Data Library

A national network of research and policy groups improving economic conditions for working families. Visit EARN

Explores and explains how race, ethnicity, and class intersect to affect economic outcomes in the US. Meet P.R.E.E.

Policy choices have tilted the playing field toward the rich and corporations. Here's how to tilt it back. View the agenda

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Latest Research

More than $1.5 billion in stolen wages recovered for workers between 2021 and 2023

How vouchers harm public schools: Calculating the cost of voucher programs to public school districts

Busting the union busters: The need to improve transparency around union-busting activity

The U.S. benefits from immigration but policy reforms needed to maximize gains: Recommendations and a review of key issues to ensure fair wages and labor standards for all workers

Voter suppression makes the racist and anti-worker Southern model possible: Rooted in Racism and Economic Exploitation: Spotlight

Blog

Over 9.2 million workers will get a raise on January 1 from 21 states raising their minimum wages

Wage inequality fell in 2023 amid a strong labor market, bucking long-term trends: But top 1% wages have skyrocketed 182% since 1979 while bottom 90% wages have seen just 44% growth

Nearly half of U.S workers will live in states with at least a $15 minimum wage by 2027: Alaska and Missouri became the latest states to enact a $15 minimum wage

Three ways workers’ rights are on the chopping block under President Trump: Judging by the first Trump administration, workers and unions are set to face new attacks and a rollback of rights

Labor market bounced back in November: Job growth has averaged 173,000 in the last three months

New data explore U.S. economic conditions by race and ethnicity—including for American Indian and Alaska Native communities

Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey continues to show labor market strength

EPI in the news

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