EPI in the news

• Teacher recruitment and retention a continuing problem, report suggests

  And becoming a teacher means earning nearly 34% less than other New Hampshire professionals with similar educational backgrounds, according to estimates by the Economic Policy Institute. 

  The 74 Million | October 19, 2026
• Understanding Prop 3

  This is known as the Free-Rider Problem: Under federal law (the National Labor Relations Act), a union must legally represent all workers in a bargaining unit both members who pay dues and non-members who do not. Right-to-work laws allow employees to receive all the benefits of a union contract (such as higher wages, health benefits, and grievance representation) without paying any fees or dues for that service, according to the Economic Policy Institute, National Bureau of Economic Research.

  The Barre-Montpelier Times (Vermont) | October 19, 2026
• After Volkswagon, Chattanooga Nurses Decide to Unionize – TVLR 10/17/26

  In OVERTIME, we talk to Jasmine from the Economic Policy Institute about their recent conference and their report on union density.

  The Valley Labor Report | October 19, 2026
• The Sagamore Bridge construction needs its labor

  The union share of the US workforce has declined from 1 worker in 3 in the 1960s to just 1 in 10 today. According to research by the Economic Policy Institute…(paywall). 

  Boston Globe | October 19, 2026
• As pensions fade away, many workers aren’t saving enough for retirement

  It’s not necessarily a consumer behavior problem but an income, access and tax subsidy problem, said Monique Morrissey, senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute, a Washington-based nonprofit think tank.

  “It’s been a really terrible situation that we’re in (where) tax subsidies and employer benefits are not targeted … for the people who need them most,” Morrissey said.

  With a smaller nest egg, many workers are opting to delay retirement and stay on the job, she said.

  Pittsburgh Tribune-Review | October 19, 2026
• The 7 Best-Paying Side Gigs For Retirees

  According to the Pew Research Center, 19% of Americans aged 65 and older were employed in 2023 — nearly double the share in 1987. More recent Bureau of Labor Statistics data show the labor force participation rate for this age group remained about 19% in 2025. Their earning power has continued to grow: In 2025, full-time senior workers had median usual weekly earnings of $1,191, according to the BLS.

  An Economic Policy Institute (EPI) analysis of 2025 data found median hourly wages of roughly $27 for men and $22 for women ages 65 and older.

  Kiplinger | October 19, 2026
• The American Dream now costs $5.3 million

  Raising two children to age 17 costs just over $700,000, Investopedia estimates, a 9.5% increase from 2025. That sum includes housing, food, transportation and taxes, along with childcare, as estimated by the Economic Policy Institute. 

  USA Today | October 19, 2026

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