Economic Policy Institute

Click here to register Imagine if one-in-three private-sector workers belonged to a union. What would wages, benefits, and working conditions look like if more workers had access to a union contract and the labor movement gained strength to beat back billionaires and big corporations? What would it mean for our economy and democracy? And what policy changes are necessary to enable more workers who wish they had a union to get one?

Immigration enforcement hurts many aspects of public life, and public schools have not been spared. ICE enforcement campaigns in cities like Washington and Minneapolis have turned public schools into staging grounds for raids: ICE agents are arresting parents and students who are suspected to be undocumented, and spreading fear among immigrant children and their families and school officials.

Seventeen states and localities are increasing their minimum wage this July On July 1, the minimum wage will increase in Alaska, Oregon, and Washington, D.C.—lifting wages for more than 361,000 workers and collectively raising their earnings by more than $221 million (see Figure A). In addition to these two states and D.C., 14 cities and counties are also increasing their minimum wage this summer, including Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

What is the State of Working America and the U.S. economy halfway through 2026? Economic Policy Institute invites you to join in a conversation on how current policies are impacting working people and families, along with solutions that create a more affordable life for everyone.

Posted June 5, 2026 at 9:55 am May job growth was stronger than expected, but slowing wage growth exacerbates affordability concerns Below, EPI senior economist Elise Gould offers her insights on the jobs report released this morning, which showed 172,000 jobs added in May. Read the full thread here. The latest jobs report came in stronger than expected this morning. The economy added 172,000 jobs in May and the unemployment rate held steady at 4.3%.

Posted June 2, 2026 at 8:00 am State lawmakers continued to weaken child labor protections in 2026: Efforts to strengthen protections have stalled Key takeaways: So far this year, at least 13 states have introduced bills weakening child labor protections, and four have enacted them. Meanwhile, only three states have introduced bills to strengthen standards in 2026, compared with 15 in 2025.

Key takeaways: The federal minimum wage is at its lowest real value in 77 years. Frozen at $7.25 since 2009, the federal minimum wage has lost 30% of its purchasing power during this 17-year freeze. Setting the federal minimum wage at two-thirds of the national median wage would raise pay for 39.6 million workers in 2030, about 1 in 4 of the wage-earning workforce.

We envision an economy that is just and strong, sustainable, and equitable--where every job is good, every worker can join a union, and every family and community can thrive. EPI is a leader in the movement for economic justice. We use the tools of economics to win policy change that advances power for workers, economic security for families, and racial and gender equity in our nation.

Download PDF Key takeaways Many U.S. employers hire union avoidance consultants to keep their workers from organizing and bargaining for better pay and working conditions. We estimate that employers spend roughly $1.7 billion a year on union avoidance consultants and law firms for this purpose, which has an undeniable impact on workers’ ability to organize and bargain collectively.

Key takeaways: Affordability is not just about prices; it’s the outcome of a race between income growth and price inflation. When income growth is slower than price inflation, affordability worsens. When income growth is faster, affordability improves. Focusing just on prices is bad for understanding how the economy works and how it has performed in the recent past, and it leads to an overly restrictive policy menu for improving families’ affordability.