The Latest Breaking News from Economic Policy Institute

As New Minimum Wages Take Effect, California’s Cities Keep Raising the Bar

Local governments are pushing wages above the state’s already high minimum, even as many workers still can't keep up with California's cost of living.

Capital & Main · Jul 9

Trump’s Policies Are Adding Up to a Hostile Work Environment

A flurry of actions, from mass layoffs and ICE raids to union-busting and tariffs, are straining U.S. workers and fueling uncertainty.

Capital & Main · Aug 25, 2025

Wages grow faster than inflation: report

Wages grew by 4.1% over the last year, while the price of goods rose 3.4%

Salon · Jun 7, 2024

Minimum wage just increased in 23 states and D.C. Here's how much

Workers earning minimum wage in 23 states and the District of Columbia got a raise over the New Year's holiday, according to the Economic Policy Institute.

WEKU · Jan 4, 2023

Inflation pushes minimum wages higher in some states

DENVER — Low-wage workers in more than a dozen states — and many more cities — could get unexpectedly large raises next year, thanks to minimum wage increases that will reflect soaring consumer prices.

Tribune News Service · Sep 6, 2022

The lasting impact of right to work laws

Their popularity has faded, but they remain a headwind to union organizing efforts.

Axios · Sep 5, 2022

Commentary: It’s time to raise the federal minimum wage

Inflation is a big problem these days. Prices are rising for everything from bacon to rent to hotel rooms. And while the Federal Reserve announced aggressive measures to curb costs last week, not all economists believe this is the best approach for helping working people.

Tribune News Service · Aug 3, 2022

Behind the Joe Biden v, Jeff Bezos beef

The Bezos-Biden spat comes as the price of food and fuel soars and Amazon workers organize to form a labor union

Salon · May 18, 2022

Majority of hourly workers at big chains earn less than $15 an hour

Today's $15 is the equivalent of $11.97 a decade ago.

Axios · Apr 19, 2022

SEIU members rally for ‘Babies before Bezos’

The downtown rally was held on the same day the Economic Policy Institute released a report that shows 69 percent of Illinois corporations paid no state corporate income taxes from 2015 to 2018.

Chicago Sun-Times · Apr 15, 2022