EPI in the news

• Discretionary Income and How to Calculate It

  However, for everyone else, it has been detrimental, as wage growth has not kept up with productivity growth. Figures provided by the Economic Policy Institute reveal that productivity rose 74% between 1973 and 2013, but the average hourly wage earned by workers gained only 9%. 

  Business Insider | June 26, 2024
• Does the federal minimum wage still matter?

  The last time the federal minimum got a boost was in 2009, when skinny jeans were king and the Black Eyed Peas topped the Billboard Hot 100. It’s the second-largest stretch without an increase since the minimum wage was created in 1938, said Sebastian Martinez Hickey, a state economic analyst with the Economic Policy Institute.

  During that time, “it’s declined in its purchasing power and its value by more than 40%,” Martinez Hickey said.

  Marketplace | June 26, 2024
• Are we living in a K-shaped economy?

  Here’s everything we talked about today:

  • “The ‘K’ Is Not OK” from LinkedIn
  • “Inflation Is Bringing Back the K-Shaped Economy” from Bloomberg
  • “Behind America’s divided economy: Booming luxury travel and a jump in ‘relief’ loans” from CNBC
  • “A tight labor market and state minimum wage increases boosted low-end wage growth between 2019 and 2023” from the Economic Policy Institute
  Marketplace Make Me Smart podcast | June 26, 2024
• Retirement Security Rule: What It Is and What It Means for Investors

  The Economic Policy Institute notes that the rule will protect retirement investors who seek professional advice and ensure that investment professionals act in their clients’ best interests. 

  Investopedia | June 26, 2024
• The Failed Southern Economic Development Model (with Chandra Childers)

  This week, Goldy and Paul talk to Chandra Childers, a senior policy and economic analyst at the Economic Policy Institute and author of their recent report on the Southern economic development model. Although the Southern economic development model is touted as a business-friendly strategy, it has devastating consequences for workers and families in Southern states. Childers explains how this economic model is rooted in racism and economic exploitation and has led to lower wages, weaker safety nets, and fewer opportunities for workers. They also discuss how some Southern states are bucking this trend and attempting to adopt more progressive policies, as well as the potential impact of renewed unionization efforts in the region.

  Pitchfork Economics | June 26, 2024
• Highest-paid CEOs in America

  CEO compensation rose nearly 1,045% between 1978 and 2022, according to a report from the Economic Policy Institute released in September 2023. T

  Clickable | June 26, 2024
• Greece is moving some workers toward a 6-day workweek

  Last March, one member of California’s legislature floated legislation for a 32-hour workweek to become national law, with the backing of the AFL-CIO and the Economic Policy Institute. The bill failed to find traction.

  Fortune | June 26, 2024

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