Resources
From peer-reviewed research to accessible policy briefs, explore the scholarship that’s shaping debates and driving change.
973 Results
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, one year later: Parsing the evidence on the law’s consequences so far (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUN 30, 2026
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed into law one year ago on July 4, 2025, shifted trillions of dollars in income from working-class families to corporations and very wealthy…
By: Lily Roberts (opens in a new tab)
ASSA 2026 Round-up: Day 3 (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 6, 2026
Yesterday was the third and final day of the 2026 annual meeting of the Allied Social Science Associations, which is organized by the American Economic Association. The 3-day conference, held…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
ASSA 2026 Round-up: Day 2 (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 5, 2026
Yesterday was the second day of the 2026 annual meeting of the Allied Social Science Associations, which is organized by the American Economic Association. The 3-day conference, held in Philadelphia…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
ASSA 2026 Round-up: Day 1 (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 4, 2026
Yesterday was the first day of the 2026 annual meeting of the Allied Social Science Associations, which is organized by the American Economic Association. The 3-day conference, held in Philadelphia…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Accounting for capital gains in income significantly increases U.S. inequality (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 15, 2025
The Washington Center for Equitable Growth’s recently launched U.S. Inequality Tracker uses data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis to show how income and wealth inequality have evolved in…
By: Austin Clemens (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth responds to passage of the federal budget bill (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 7, 2025
On Friday, President Donald Trump signed the 2025 federal budget bill, cementing into law the most regressive piece of tax and budget legislation to be passed in the United States…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Business owners often use their firms as tax shelters, reducing government revenue and reported income inequality (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 22, 2025
Picture this scene: After sharing a meal with friends, someone in the group grabs the check and says, “I’ll take this so I can expense it through my company.” It…
By: David Leite (opens in a new tab)
The political implications of bad jobs and the decline of unions (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 13, 2025
Bad jobs have become a distinctive feature of the U.S. economy over the past few decades. Globally, a lack of adequate demand, or what economists call “secular stagnation,” has meant…
By: Adam Dean (opens in a new tab), Jamie McCallum (opens in a new tab)
Federal and state governments can help solve the employment problems of people in distressed places to spur equitable growth (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 13, 2025
Places in the United States differ greatly in their residents’ access to jobs, including access to good jobs. In economically distressed places, these job problems can be addressed by creating…
By: Timothy Bartik (opens in a new tab)
More accurately measuring economic sentiment will help build a U.S. economy—and democracy—that works for all (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 13, 2025
When politicians and members of the media discuss the state of “the economy” in the United States, they often use a small handful of data points. Of all the indicators…
By: Jonathan Cohen (opens in a new tab), Katherine Cramer (opens in a new tab)
Understanding the role of immigration and economic factors in boosting support for far-right political parties (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 13, 2025
Far-right and right-wing populist political parties differ in many respects, but nearly all share one common thread: strong opposition to immigration. These parties often push for stricter border controls and,…
By: Sirus H. Dehdari (opens in a new tab)
America’s job-quality crisis and how to revive workers’ pay, dignity, job advancement, and economic well-being (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 13, 2025
The poor quality of jobs in the United States is a slow-burning crisis that has been underway for many decades and has eroded many workers’ quality of life. Too many…
By: Erin Kelly (opens in a new tab)
How the China trade shock impacted U.S. manufacturing workers and labor markets, and the consequences for U.S. politics (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 13, 2025
In the early 2000s, manufacturing-intensive communities in the United States entered a period of economic upheaval that would reshape their labor markets over the next two decades. China’s dramatic rise…
By: David Autor (opens in a new tab), David Dorn (opens in a new tab), Gordon Hanson (opens in a new tab)
Housing insecurity and U.S. economic policies: Lessons from tenant organizing (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 13, 2025
The destructive force of authoritarian power has become a prominent feature of U.S. political life. In just the first few months of 2025, we’ve seen unprecedented moves to use the…
By: Jamila Michener (opens in a new tab)
Countering right-wing populism: Identifying its cultural roots and charting a path forward (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 13, 2025
Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 U.S. presidential election set off an animated debate among Democrats over what went wrong with their policymaking, messaging, and campaigning. Specifically, Democrats puzzled over…
By: Yotam Margalit (opens in a new tab)
How the economic and political geography of the United States fuels right-wing populism—and what the Democratic Party can do about it (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 13, 2025
In wealthy nations around the world, the rise of the knowledge economy has increased political and economic divides that fuel right-wing populism. These divides generally have a strong geographic dimension,…
By: Jacob Hacker (opens in a new tab), Paul Pierson (opens in a new tab)
Tariffs pose real risks to the U.S. labor market (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 12, 2025
Uncertainty around trade policy makes it difficult to discuss the current state of the U.S. labor market. Businesses, workers, and policymakers at all levels make decisions based on both what…
By: Kevin Rinz (opens in a new tab)
Testimony by Michael Linden before the House Budget Committee (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 8, 2025
Chairman Arrington, Ranking Member Boyle, members of this committee, thank you for the opportunity to be here. Today, I’d like to make three main points. First, the main culprit responsible…
By: Michael Linden (opens in a new tab)
Advancing economic research on the Inflation Reduction Act: Q&A with Susan Helper (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 1, 2025
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 is the most significant economic and clean energy jobs program the United States has ever initiated. To improve overall understanding of whether the new…
By: Susan Helper (opens in a new tab)
Evaluating the Inflation Reduction Act: Job quality, spillovers, and place-based policymaking (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 16, 2025
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 is the most significant economic and clean energy jobs program the United States has ever initiated. To improve overall understanding of whether the new…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Improving economic outcomes for single mothers and their children across the United States (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 16, 2025
Single-mother households are becoming more and more common in the United States. Over the past 50 years, the number of children raised by single mothers has more than doubled. It…
By: Megan Rivera (opens in a new tab)
“Econ 101” briefing on taxing multinationals brings Hill staffers up to speed on U.S. role in coordinating global crack-down on tax avoidance (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 3, 2025
The Washington Center for Equitable Growth last week hosted a briefing for Capitol Hill staffers on multinational corporate tax trends and policies—another in our “Econ 101” series for Hill staffers.…
By: Elena Patel (opens in a new tab)
Analogies for AI policymaking (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 27, 2025
As a suite of technologies under the label of artificial intelligence increasingly take center stage, policymakers recognize the need to develop deep technical expertise about the deployment of evolving technologies…
By: Sorelle Friedler (opens in a new tab), Marc Aidinoff (opens in a new tab)
What makes a job ‘good’? How U.S. labor market data can provide insight to improve workers’ economic conditions (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 26, 2025
Since the Great Recession of 2007–2009, a great deal of U.S. economic policymaking has been dedicated to creating jobs. The tools used to do so vary widely, from awarding grants…
By: Kevin Rinz (opens in a new tab), Chiara Chanoi (opens in a new tab)
Do not abandon the care agenda (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 19, 2025
This column, co-authored by Equitable Growth President and CEO Shayna Strom and former Deputy Director of the White House Gender Policy Council Shilpa Phadke, first appeared in Democracy Journal in…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth hosts Hill briefing on proliferation and taxation of U.S. pass-through businesses (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 13, 2025
On March 7, the Washington Center for Equitable Growth hosted a briefing—part of a series we call “Econ 101”—for Hill staffers curious about the proliferation of pass-through businesses and how…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
The U.S. House of Representatives’ budget resolution threatens social infrastructure programs, putting families’ well-being at risk (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 10, 2025
In late February, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a budget resolution that calls for $4.5 trillion in tax cuts and $2 trillion in federal spending cuts. This resolution provides…
By: Priyanka Anand (opens in a new tab), Robert Moffitt (opens in a new tab)
Tackling AI, taxation, and the fair distribution of AI’s benefits (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 5, 2025
Artificial intelligence poses significant challenges to income growth, inequality, and meaningful work. At the same time, AI has geopolitical significance, with many national and supranational governments shying away from intervening…
By: Mona Sloane (opens in a new tab), Ekkehard Ernst (opens in a new tab)
New research finds capital gains are highly concentrated and hardly taxed, underscoring widespread U.S. inequality (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 26, 2025
For two decades, booming stock, housing, and private business markets have driven large capital gains in the United States. Real capital gains, which are the inflation-adjusted appreciation of a financial…
By: Jacob Robbins (opens in a new tab), Cole Campbell (opens in a new tab), Sam Wylde (opens in a new tab)
Boosting U.S. worker power and voice in the AI-enabled workplace (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 19, 2025
The deployment of Artificial Intelligence in the workplace has grown rapidly in the United States. Labor unions have been at the forefront of efforts to encourage more productive and sustainable…
By: Virginia Doellgast (opens in a new tab), Nell Geiser (opens in a new tab)
As the U.S. labor market stabilizes, is nominal wage growth now too hot? (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 13, 2025
After the tumultuous swings of the early COVID-19 pandemic period and years of normalization since then, economic data from the past several months suggest that the U.S. labor market may…
By: Kevin Rinz (opens in a new tab)
Testimony by Michael Linden House Oversight Subcommittee on Healthcare and Financial Services (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 11, 2025
Chairman Grothman, Ranking Member Krishnamoorthi, and members of the Committee – thank you for the opportunity to be here. Today, I’d like to make three main points. First, federal investments…
By: Michael Linden (opens in a new tab)
Understanding market concentration in the AI supply chain (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 28, 2025
Artificial intelligence is more than just the applications we use, such as chatbots and predictive algorithms. Beneath the surface of AI lies a technology stack that is increasingly concentrated at…
By: Tejas Narechania (opens in a new tab)
ASSA 2025 Round-up: Day 3 (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 6, 2025
Yesterday was the third and final day of the 2025 annual meeting of the Allied Social Science Associations, which is organized by the American Economic Association. The 3-day conference, held…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
ASSA 2025 Round-up: Day 2 (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 5, 2025
Yesterday was the second day of the 2025 annual meeting of the Allied Social Science Associations, which is organized by the American Economic Association. The 3-day conference, held in San…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
ASSA 2025 Round-up: Day 1 (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 4, 2025
Yesterday was the first day of the 2025 annual meeting of the Allied Social Science Associations, which is organized by the American Economic Association. The 3-day conference, held in San…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
New U.S. Treasury Department research shows that it pays to be an S corporation (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 16, 2024
Businesses that are organized as so-called pass-through entities for tax purposes—meaning their profits show up on the owners’ personal tax returns rather than on an entity-based tax return—pay a lower…
By: Michael Linden (opens in a new tab)
Recent research shows how paid leave impacts women’s employment and financial security in the United States (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 13, 2024
During the first several months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government ensured that all U.S. workers had access to at least 2 weeks of paid sick leave and up…
By: Shira Markoff (opens in a new tab)
New research highlights the impact of COVID-era unconditional cash benefits for U.S. workers and families (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 10, 2024
The breadth of the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic ushered in sweeping, albeit temporary, changes to income support programs and tax policies in the United States. These changes include…
By: Shira Markoff (opens in a new tab)
Addressing pervasive tax evasion by cryptocurrency users (opens in a new tab)
Blog NOV 21, 2024
The price of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies reached record highs last week, buoyed by the U.S. election of Donald Trump, who is seen as friendly to this novel asset class,…
By: Magne Mogstad (opens in a new tab), Tom Meling (opens in a new tab), Arnstein Vestre (opens in a new tab)
The U.S. labor market keeps beating projections (opens in a new tab)
Blog NOV 5, 2024
No single economic indicator fully describes the state of the U.S. labor market. Yet a range of commonly used measures, from the unemployment rate and the prime-age employment-population ratio to…
By: Kevin Rinz (opens in a new tab)
Changing earnings requirements for Unemployment Insurance could improve access and better support U.S. workers (opens in a new tab)
Blog OCT 24, 2024
Temporary changes to the Unemployment Insurance program played an enormous role in the U.S. policy response to the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting sharp-but-short recession in 2020. Typically, Unemployment Insurance replaces…
By: Kevin Rinz (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth virtual event details how tax policies affect U.S. economic growth and could combat income and wealth inequality (opens in a new tab)
Blog OCT 23, 2024
The Washington Center for Equitable Growth recently held the second in a two-part event series on tax policies for congressional staffers interested in learning more about using persuasive, evidence-backed arguments…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth renews collective bargaining agreement with Nonprofit Professional Employees Union (opens in a new tab)
Blog OCT 7, 2024
The Washington Center for Equitable Growth has renewed its 3-year collective bargaining agreement with the Nonprofit Professional Employees Union IFPTE Local 70. The agreement, which was signed on August 23,…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
End Ineffective Business Tax Breaks Before Creating New Ones (opens in a new tab)
Blog OCT 7, 2024
(This opinion piece first appeared in Tax Notes Federal on September 23, 2024.) Vice President Kamala Harris recently proposed an expanded tax benefit for start-up businesses, aimed at helping fledgling…
By: David S. Mitchell (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s ‘Econ 101’ offered congressional staffers a rundown of the contours of U.S. tax policy (opens in a new tab)
Blog OCT 2, 2024
The Washington Center for Equitable Growth recently hosted a congressional briefing—part of a series we call “Econ 101”—for Hill staffers interested in learning more about the ins and outs of…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
New data show significant changes in racial and class mobility gaps in the United States (opens in a new tab)
Blog SEP 19, 2024
Past research shows that differences in intergenerational mobility between Black and White Americans have persisted since the 1880s. Current racial economic mobility gaps are rooted in historical discriminatory policies, such…
By: Shira Markoff (opens in a new tab)
The unequal impact of the Federal Reserve’s monetary tightening and easing on firms in the United States (opens in a new tab)
Blog SEP 16, 2024
The easing of inflation in the U.S. economy beginning in 2022 and recent signs of weakness in the U.S. labor market over the past several quarters have led households and…
By: Ezgi Kurt (opens in a new tab)
The upcoming U.S. election’s most important policy effects are under the radar (opens in a new tab)
Blog SEP 3, 2024
Although the old maxim that Labor Day marks the true beginning of U.S. presidential campaigns may no longer hold, the end of summer and beginning of fall remain a period…
By: Kevin Rinz (opens in a new tab)
Will labor’s surging popularity result in new union members in the United States? (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 29, 2024
Mass strikes across U.S. industries, successful organizing drives in multiple sectors of the economy, and a U.S. president who declares himself proud to be labeled “the most pro-union president in…
By: Jake Rosenfeld (opens in a new tab)
Early career scholars to receive Equitable Growth funding to study economic inequality (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 28, 2024
The Washington Center for Equitable Growth today announced a new slate of grantees. These 10 scholars responded to a Request for Proposals specifically targeted at those early in their careers…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth invests in new research to better understand the effects of the fiscal response to the COVID-19 recession (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 28, 2024
The Washington Center for Equitable Growth today announced a new cohort of grantees in response to a Request for Proposals on the effectiveness of the fiscal response to the COVID-19…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
New economic analyses of the 2017 Trump tax cuts find mixed effects that policymakers should consider when those tax cuts expire in 2025 (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 22, 2024
Former President Donald Trump’s hallmark economic policy was a swathe of tax cuts for the wealthy and big corporations in 2017. His Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, or TCJA, supercharged…
By: Rakeen Mabud (opens in a new tab), Janelle Jones (opens in a new tab), Michael Linden (opens in a new tab)
New labor market data suggest that U.S. wage growth may be cooling too much (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 6, 2024
After increasing rapidly over the course of 2021, nominal wage growth (before accounting for inflation) in the United States has been trending down consistently across measures since early- to mid-2022.…
By: Kevin Rinz (opens in a new tab)
New federal heat standard will protect U.S. workers from the ill effects of high temperatures amid intensifying climate change (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 1, 2024
U.S. workers are more vulnerable than ever to the ill effects of high and rising temperatures as the world continues to shatter heat records this year. Climate-related deaths and injuries…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
New federal heat standard offers novel distributional analysis to determine which workers benefit and how (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 16, 2024
The U.S. Department of Labor recently released a much-anticipated proposed rule that promises to protect workers from on-the-job injuries and deaths that result from toiling in the heat. The timing…
By: David S. Mitchell (opens in a new tab)
The new Labor Department overtime rule is a win for workers—and good policy, too (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 8, 2024
On July 1, the first step of the U.S. Department of Labor’s new overtime rule went into effect, meaning about 1 million salaried, white-collar workers currently exempt from overtime began…
By: Janelle Jones (opens in a new tab), Rajesh Nayak (opens in a new tab)
On Juneteenth: New research demonstrates how economic mobility is restricted for Black Americans (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUN 18, 2024
On June 19, 1865, emancipation was officially declared in the state of Texas, more than two full years after the Emancipation Proclamation and more than two full months after the…
By: Shaun Harrison (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth receives funding to advance women’s power, gender equality, and care economy (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 28, 2024
Melinda French Gates’ Pivotal funds organization as part of $1 billion global commitment The Washington Center for Equitable Growth announced today that it has received funding from Pivotal as part…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
What is going on with wage growth in the United States? (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 16, 2024
Fast wage growth is a key feature of a strong labor market. U.S. workers, and low-wage workers in particular, experienced exceptional wage growth over the past couple of years, which…
By: Kevin Rinz (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth delivers letter on proposed IRS rule to expand data sharing with the U.S. Department of Commerce (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 15, 2024
On April 29, the Washington Center for Equitable Growth delivered a comment letter responding to a proposed rule from the Internal Revenue Service that would expand the amount of administrative…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
U.S. workers, generative AI, and the future of work (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 9, 2024
The launch of ChatGPT in November 2022 captured the world’s attention and illustrated the potential of generative Artificial Intelligence to instantly perform tasks long considered quintessentially “human.” Already, the technology…
By: Molly Kinder (opens in a new tab)
Structural changes in the U.S. economy highlight anew the gray areas of continued racial bias and discrimination in American workplaces (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 8, 2024
Four years after George Floyd was murdered in Minneapolis by three city police officers and the Black Lives Matter movement led large-scale protests across the country, workplaces across the U.S.…
By: Adia Harvey Wingfield (opens in a new tab)
New workplace surveillance bill would protect U.S. workers and address new technological risks (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 2, 2024
Across the U.S. economy, the risks posed by unchecked automated surveillance and management technologies are widespread—and growing. These technologies can sometimes be beneficial for workers, customers, and businesses alike. For…
By: Alexander Hertel-Fernandez (opens in a new tab)
New recommendations for an integrated system of U.S. inequality statistics chart a bold path forward (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 23, 2024
A new report from the National Academy of Science’s Committee on National Statistics is packed with recommendations for building an integrated system of national statistics that can provide accurate and…
By: Austin Clemens (opens in a new tab)
An Unemployment Insurance modernization bill now before the U.S. Senate is a much-needed step in the right direction (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 9, 2024
The nearly 90-year-old federal-state Unemployment Insurance program provides much-needed relief to unemployed workers who lose their jobs through no fault of their own and helps to stabilize the U.S. economy…
By: Alexander Hertel-Fernandez (opens in a new tab)
Enhanced Child Tax Credit helped U.S. families afford life-enhancing necessities and cope with inflation (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 2, 2024
Amid ongoing congressional debate over expanding the Child Tax Credit for U.S. families, it’s important to understand why the fears about the expansion of that tax credit in 2021 were…
By: David S. Mitchell (opens in a new tab)
Testimony by Michael Linden before the Joint Economic Committee (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 12, 2024
Chair Heinrich, Vice Chair Schweikert, Members of the Committee, thank you so much for extending me the opportunity to testify before you today. My testimony will broadly cover three important…
By: Michael Linden (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth hosts State of the Union press briefing with leading U.S. economists (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 7, 2024
The Washington Center for Equitable Growth last week hosted an online press briefing in prelude to tonight’s State of the Union address to the U.S. Congress by President Joe Biden.…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
The state of the U.S. labor market 4 years after the start of the COVID-19 recession (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 5, 2024
Over the past 4 years, the U.S. economy—in particular the U.S. labor market—weathered some incredible shocks and fluctuations. From the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain breakdowns to global energy shocks…
By: Michael Linden (opens in a new tab)
Ahead of President Biden’s State of the Union address, the U.S. economy is strong (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 21, 2024
On March 7, President Joe Biden will deliver the 2024 State of the Union address to the U.S. Congress and the American public, in which he will tout his economic…
By: Austin Clemens (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s recent ‘Econ 101’ assessed the state of the U.S. economy and recovery for Capitol Hill staff (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 13, 2024
The Washington Center for Equitable Growth hosted a briefing last week—part of a series we call “Econ 101”—presenting insight on the state of the U.S. economy and how the current…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
New Circular A-4 offers opportunities for researchers interested in disaggregating the costs and benefits of U.S. regulations (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 1, 2024
This column is adapted from remarks I made at the Allied Social Sciences Associations 2024 annual meeting, held earlier this year in San Antonio, Texas, as part of a panel…
By: David S. Mitchell (opens in a new tab)
The impacts of increasing U.S. hospital consolidation on Medicaid recipients (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 25, 2024
The U.S. healthcare sector is a consequential part of the overall economy. As of 2021, U.S. healthcare expenditures alone would rank third among the world’s largest economies in terms of…
By: Sunita Desai (opens in a new tab), Kyle Smith (opens in a new tab)
Statement on the passing of Nobel laureate Robert Solow (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 11, 2024
A founding member of the Washington Center for Equitable Growth’s Steering Committee, Solow was also a longtime partner and advisor to the organization Robert Solow, the Nobel laureate and longtime…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Doubling down on cuts to the IRS is bad for the federal budget and for tax fairness in the United States (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 9, 2024
The U.S. Congress recently announced a bipartisan budget deal for fiscal year 2024 appropriations for the U.S. federal government. The budget is largely consistent with the framework agreed to in…
By: David S. Mitchell (opens in a new tab)
ASSA 2024 Round-up: Day 3 (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 8, 2024
Yesterday was the third and final day of the 2024 annual meeting of the Allied Social Science Associations, which is organized by the American Economic Association. The 3-day conference, held…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
ASSA 2024 Round-up: Day 2 (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 7, 2024
Yesterday was the second day of the 2024 annual meeting of the Allied Social Science Associations, which is organized by the American Economic Association. The 3-day conference, held in person…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
ASSA 2024 Round-up: Day 1 (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 6, 2024
Yesterday was the first day of the 2024 annual meeting of the Allied Social Science Associations, which is organized by the American Economic Association. The 3-day conference, held in person…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Six years later, more evidence shows the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act benefits U.S. business owners and executives, not average workers (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 20, 2023
When policymakers were debating the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, many proponents claimed that average U.S. workers would benefit via wage increases. These adherents of trickle-down economic theory…
By: David S. Mitchell (opens in a new tab)
What the research says about the impacts of hospital consolidation across the United States (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 6, 2023
When patients in the United States rely on hospitals for care, they are often at their most vulnerable, such as during acute illnesses, when suffering major injuries, or while giving…
By: Amy Phillips (opens in a new tab)
New evidence shows that limiting a tax break for highly leveraged firms doesn’t hurt the U.S. economy (opens in a new tab)
Blog NOV 21, 2023
Does increasing taxes on businesses reduce private-sector investment? Most economists agree that investment in new projects and technologies is a key driver of economic growth. While the tax code plays…
By: David S. Mitchell (opens in a new tab)
Sameera Fazili and Mary Beth Maxwell join Equitable Growth’s Board of Directors (opens in a new tab)
Blog NOV 15, 2023
The Washington Center for Equitable Growth today announced the addition of two new members to its board of directors: Sameera Fazili, former deputy assistant to the president and deputy director…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
New evidence suggests that receiving benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program facilitates work in the long run (opens in a new tab)
Blog NOV 13, 2023
One of today’s most heated debates around U.S. income support programs is about work requirements. From the removal of work requirements through the 2021 enhancements to the Child Tax Credit…
By: Alix Gould-Werth (opens in a new tab)
What the minimum wage can tell us about the future of the U.S. child care system (opens in a new tab)
Blog NOV 1, 2023
The U.S. child care market is plagued by a math problem. Families in the United States are stretched thin, dedicating substantial portions of their household budgets to child care expenses.…
By: Sam Abbott (opens in a new tab)
What recent research says about the benefits of labor strikes and growing worker power for broader U.S. economic growth (opens in a new tab)
Blog OCT 25, 2023
Labor organizing and strikes are experiencing a resurgence in the United States. Before this year’s bevy of labor actions—including Hollywood strikes, autoworker walk-outs, healthcare labor stoppages, and more—2022 and 2021…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Employment scarring research suggests benefits for aggressive U.S. fiscal policy in response to recessions (opens in a new tab)
Blog OCT 19, 2023
It can be difficult for the federal government to get its fiscal response to an economic downturn just right. Too much fiscal stimulus can create excess fiscal demand and inflation,…
By: Austin Clemens (opens in a new tab)
New research finds $15 minimum wages raise pay and increase employment for low-wage workers (opens in a new tab)
Blog OCT 16, 2023
Increasing the minimum wage has repeatedly been shown to raise the pay of low-wage workers and improve the overall economy. While the federal minimum wage remains at its 2009 level…
By: Michael Reich (opens in a new tab), Justin Wiltshire (opens in a new tab), Carl McPherson (opens in a new tab)
Strong unions push firms to reduce riskier debt, lowering risks of unemployment for U.S. workers (opens in a new tab)
Blog SEP 27, 2023
Unionization efforts and labor organizing are increasingly ubiquitous in the United States. Indeed, July 2023 was one of the busiest months for strikes in 30 years, following two years of…
By: Carlos Fernando Avenancio-Leon (opens in a new tab), Alessio Piccolo (opens in a new tab), Roberto Pinto (opens in a new tab)
Testimony by Shayna Strom before the Senate Budget Committee (opens in a new tab)
Blog SEP 20, 2023
Chairman Whitehouse, Ranking Member Grassley, and members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today. I am the President and CEO of the Washington Center for Equitable…
By: Shayna Strom (opens in a new tab)
U.S. labor market concentration, competition, and worker bargaining power as employment trends shift from manufacturing to services (opens in a new tab)
Blog SEP 6, 2023
Labor market concentration and competition in the United States has received renewed and well-deserved attention over the past several years. Competitive labor markets are critical engines of economic growth, worker…
By: Laura Alexander (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth announces new round of grantmaking exploring the connection between policy and economic growth (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 31, 2023
The Washington Center for Equitable Growth today announced its 2023 cohort of grantees, an impressive group of researchers from across academic disciplines who are studying how inequality affects economic growth…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Latino homeownership: Confronting home appraisal bias to create a more equitable and more sustainable U.S. economic trajectory (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 10, 2023
Homeownership is part of the American Dream and a pathway to build wealth for many people in the United States. Homeownership allows families to plant roots, build equity, and secure…
By: Sam Kenney (opens in a new tab)
The effects of the expanded Child Tax Credit on low-income families in the United States (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 2, 2023
Childhood poverty is a stubborn problem in the United States. About 11 million U.S. children lived in poverty prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, accounting for nearly one-third of the impoverished…
By: Jesus Torres (opens in a new tab)
Short-term effects of the expanded Child Tax Credit on U.S. labor force participation amid the COVID-19 pandemic (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 26, 2023
There is a common politicized thread to arguments against expanding the federal antipoverty Child Tax Credit program permanently and to the justifications that a majority of the U.S. Supreme Court…
By: Sullivan Anderson (opens in a new tab)
New research shows that differences in state Unemployment Insurance rules cause inequity and inefficiency (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 19, 2023
The Unemployment Insurance system in the United States aims to provide temporary and partial wage replacement for workers who become unemployed through no fault of their own. In helping unemployed…
By: Daphné Skandalis (opens in a new tab), Ioana Marinescu (opens in a new tab), Maxim Massenkoff (opens in a new tab)
Algorithmic wage discrimination requires policy solutions that enforce predictability and the U.S. spirit of equal pay for equal work (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 12, 2023
U.S. consumers generally believe that gig workers who labor for companies such as Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft Inc. are free to set their own hours and thus able to…
By: Veena Dubal (opens in a new tab)
GDP 2.0: Measuring who prospers when the U.S. economy grows (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 11, 2023
This post was updated on July 11, 2023. Gross Domestic Product, or GDP, is the constant go-to economic indicator that news anchors and U.S. Members of Congress alike love to…
By: Austin Clemens (opens in a new tab)
New data and analysis suggest private equity takeovers of U.S. medical practices cause anticompetitive harms to patients, insurers, and employers in local markets (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 10, 2023
The linked resources and the PDF for this piece were updated on February 20, 2024. Private equity firms are deeply engaged in buying up and consolidating medical practices across the…
By: Laura Alexander (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: June 2023 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 7, 2023
On July 7th, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data on the U.S. labor market during the month of June. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth…
By: Austin Clemens (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
JOLTS Day Graphs: May 2023 Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 6, 2023
Every month the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases data on hiring, firing, and other labor market flows from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, better known as JOLTS.…
By: Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab), Austin Clemens (opens in a new tab)
Ahead of the June Jobs Day report, here is what the past three months of employment data say about the health of the U.S. labor market (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 6, 2023
The U.S. economy is now flush with many more jobs than prior to the onset of the COVID-19 recession in early 2020, and employment growth in the country continues to…
By: Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
The historical lessons from the U.S. General Property Tax (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 5, 2023
In the early 19th century, a new type of property tax system emerged in the United States, distinguishing itself from its European counterparts by encompassing all forms of property. This…
By: Sacha Dray (opens in a new tab), Camille Landais (opens in a new tab), Stefanie Stantcheva (opens in a new tab)
LGBTQ+ Black Pride: More than a celebration (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUN 22, 2023
This column is the fifth in our series of pieces by guest authors examining systemic racial, ethnic, and gender inequities in the U.S. economy and in access to government social…
By: Earl D. Fowlkes. Jr. (opens in a new tab)
Paid sick leave means dads can spend more time caring for loved ones and less time worrying about missing work (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUN 15, 2023
The economic story of the United States in the post-WWII era is arguably the dramatic surge in women’s labor force participation. The increases in hours worked and income generated by…
By: Sam Abbott (opens in a new tab)
What monetary and fiscal policy can tell us about the U.S. recovery from the COVID-19 recession (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUN 14, 2023
The Federal Reserve is at the center of the main story in the U.S. economy, and not just because there’s actual ambiguity around this week’s Federal Open Market Committee meeting.…
By: Michael Madowitz (opens in a new tab)
Wealth as a driver of income and consumption mobility in the United States (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUN 7, 2023
When most Americans think about how economic well-being transfers from parents to children, they will likely think about income, consumption, and wealth. After all, parents’ ability to provide for and…
By: Jonathan Fisher (opens in a new tab), David Johnson (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: May 2023 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUN 2, 2023
On June 2nd, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data on the U.S. labor market during the month of May. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth…
By: Austin Clemens (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
JOLTS Day Graphs: April 2023 Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 31, 2023
Every month the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases data on hiring, firing, and other labor market flows from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, better known as JOLTS.…
By: Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab), Austin Clemens (opens in a new tab)
Food assistance can disrupt intergenerational poverty in the United States, promoting racial economic equity (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 30, 2023
The post-COVID-19 economy is a strange beast. Unemployment rates are at historic lows, but inflation—despite some cooling—remains high. Many parents continue to struggle with child care and their children’s schooling,…
By: Christopher Wimer (opens in a new tab), Zachary Parolin (opens in a new tab), Ronald Mincy (opens in a new tab), Benjamin Glasner (opens in a new tab)
The rise of industrial policy means data synchronization is more critical than ever (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 12, 2023
Industrial policy is the hot new trend in D.C. policymaking circles, a Biden administration promise to radically transform the economy that is pouring federal dollars into green energy, infrastructure, and…
By: Austin Clemens (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth grantee Gabriel Zucman awarded the 2023 John Bates Clark Medal (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 9, 2023
Earlier this month, associate professor of public policy and economics Gabriel Zucman at the University of California, Berkeley—and a Washington Center for Equitable Growth 2018 grantee—won the 2023 John Bates…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Child care prices, inflation, and the end of federal pandemic-era aid in five charts (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 8, 2023
For much of the COVID-19 recession of 2020 and subsequent economic recovery, the child care sector was spared the accelerating inflation that impacted other areas of the U.S. economy. As…
By: Sam Abbott (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: April 2023 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 5, 2023
On May 5, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data on the U.S. labor market during the month of April. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth…
By: Raksha Kopparam (opens in a new tab), Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab)
JOLTS Day Graphs: March 2023 Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 2, 2023
Every month the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases data on hiring, firing, and other labor market flows from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, better known as JOLTS.…
By: Raksha Kopparam (opens in a new tab), Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth delivers comment letter responding to the Federal Trade Commission’s Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Non-Compete Clauses (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 20, 2023
The Washington Center for Equitable Growth this week delivered a comment letter responding to the Federal Trade Commission’s Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Non-Compete Clauses. In our comment letter,…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Police in public schools harm students, leading to far-reaching socioeconomic inequalities alongside less safe schools (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 19, 2023
This column is the third in a series by guest authors examining systemic racial, ethnic, and gender inequities in the U.S. economy and in access to government social infrastructure and…
By: Tyler Whittenberg (opens in a new tab), Jessica Alcantara (opens in a new tab)
Employers can alleviate the U.S. child care crisis, but they cannot be the primary solution (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 13, 2023
The U.S. Department of Commerce last month announced new requirements for semiconductor manufacturers seeking funding under the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022—a key component of the Biden Administration’s industrial…
By: Sam Abbott (opens in a new tab)
Seven ways the inflation debate in the United States has changed since last year and how the Fed can now recalibrate its monetary policy (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 12, 2023
Inflation in the United States today is considerably cooler than at its peak in the first half of 2022, but it will remain at the center of the economic policy…
By: Michael Madowitz (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: March 2023 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 7, 2023
On April 7, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data on the U.S. labor market during the month of March. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Why measuring inflation is surprisingly challenging (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 5, 2023
In spite of recent bank turmoil in the United States and abroad, reining in inflation remains very much at the top of the macroeconomic agenda for policymakers in advanced economies…
By: Michael Madowitz (opens in a new tab)
JOLTS Day Graphs: February 2023 Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 4, 2023
Every month the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases data on hiring, firing, and other labor market flows from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, better known as JOLTS.…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Executive actions to strengthen unions and increase worker power in the United States (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 3, 2023
Relevant federal agencies: U.S. Department of Labor White House Relevant federal laws: The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. § 203) National Labor Relations Act of 1935 (Public…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Summary of Equitable Growth’s March ‘Econ 101’ briefing on inflation for Capitol Hill staffers (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 23, 2023
The Washington Center for Equitable Growth hosted a briefing earlier this month—part of a series we call “Econ 101”—presenting the key points on inflation to congressional staffers in both the…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Executive actions to modernize federal data collection and improve measurements of U.S. economic inequality (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 22, 2023
Relevant federal agencies U.S. Census Bureau U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor Relevant federal laws Internal Revenue Code…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Executive actions to reduce inequality and improve job quality for U.S. workers (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 16, 2023
Relevant federal agencies: Federal Trade Commission Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Office of Personnel Management Relevant laws: Federal Trade Commission’s Trade Regulation Rule on Commercial Surveillance and Data Security, Commercial Surveillance…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Inflation, Federal Reserve policymaking, and liquidity traps (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 14, 2023
The Federal Reserve is fighting inflation, but more importantly, the Fed wants everyone to know that it is fighting inflationary expectations. This means, in the short term, that with inflation…
By: Michael Madowitz (opens in a new tab)
Major federal ‘Big Tech’ antitrust case against Google will test the strength of current U.S. antitrust laws in new digital markets (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 13, 2023
A high-profile antitrust enforcement action taken in January by the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice against Alphabet Inc.’s Google unit—one of the largest technology companies in the…
By: Laura Alexander (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: February 2023 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 10, 2023
On March 10, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data on the U.S. labor market during the month of February. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
The importance of the American Rescue Plan for U.S. workers and families on the law’s second anniversary, in 8 charts (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 10, 2023
Tomorrow marks 2 years since the American Rescue Plan Act was signed into law. One year after the COVID-19 pandemic that began in early 2020 triggered enormous employment losses and…
By: Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab), Raksha Kopparam (opens in a new tab)
JOLTS Day Graphs: January 2023 Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 8, 2023
Every month the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases data on hiring, firing, and other labor market flows from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, better known as JOLTS.…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth delivers letter responding to the NTIA’s Privacy, Equity, and Civil Rights Request for Comment (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 6, 2023
The Washington Center for Equitable Growth this week delivered a comment letter responding to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s Privacy, Equity, and Civil Rights Request for Comment. Our comment…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab)
Access to paid family leave improves U.S. women’s labor market outcomes following a spouse’s health shock (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 6, 2023
Women now make up almost half of the U.S. labor force, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, and families are increasingly reliant on women’s earnings. Despite their growing labor…
By: Courtney C. Coile (opens in a new tab), Maya Rossin-Slater (opens in a new tab), Amanda Su (opens in a new tab)
Examining the history of the U.S. racial wealth divide shows stagnating progress on closing these disparities (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 24, 2023
A central part of Black History Month is highlighting the accomplishments and contributions of Black Americans to U.S. society, culture, and the economy, often in the face of incredible barriers.…
By: Kreg Steven Brown (opens in a new tab)
Fair competition in the U.S. labor market is threatened by more than the noncompete clauses targeted by new Federal Trade Commission rule (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 23, 2023
When a worker gets a new job, it is normally a cause for celebration and not litigation. Yet noncompetition clauses in employment agreements, and a veil of other threats buried…
By: Peter Norlander (opens in a new tab)
Executive actions to strengthen U.S. income support programs and support research about them (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 22, 2023
Relevant federal agencies: U.S. Department of Labor U.S. Department of Agriculture Relevant federal laws: The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (P.L. 115-334) Social Security Act of 1935 (P.L. 74-271) Advisory…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Climate policy has potential to spur economic growth and ensure a competitive U.S. economy (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 9, 2023
Addressing climate change is a crucial—and sizeable—economic task. Ensuring equity in every dimension of climate mitigation and adaptation is critical to redressing ongoing harms and environmental injustices. Tracking the implementation…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Executive actions to leverage federal agencies to improve child care in the United States (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 8, 2023
Relevant federal agencies: U.S. Census Bureau U.S. Department of Health and Human Services The White House White House Council of Economic Advisers Relevant federal laws: Child Care Development Block Grant…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: January 2023 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 3, 2023
On February 3, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data on the U.S. labor market during the month of January. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab), Austin Clemens (opens in a new tab)
JOLTS Day Graphs: December 2022 Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 1, 2023
Every month the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases data on hiring, firing, and other labor market flows from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, better known as JOLTS.…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Automated and algorithmic management is already here, invisibly shaping job quality for U.S. workers (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 24, 2023
Predictions about which jobs may be “lost” in the United States as employers implement new automation and algorithmic technologies often consider management tasks and roles as the least vulnerable to…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab)
A future-oriented approach to wealth offers new possibilities for wealth creation in the United States (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 19, 2023
Wealth inequality in the United States has grown significantly over the past five decades, with the overall share of wealth becoming more concentrated among the highest-income families. A lot of…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
U.S. income and wealth inequality are no longer increasing, but a return to the equitable levels of the mid-20th century isn’t likely anytime soon (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 17, 2023
Five or 6 years ago, economists and pundits frequently debated whether the incomes of low- and middle-class households in the United States were stagnating. I wrote about it, and I…
By: Austin Clemens (opens in a new tab)
New research suggests connections between market concentration and the exercise of political power in the United States (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 12, 2023
Consolidation of markets at the hands of U.S. companies that are actively engaged in mergers and acquisitions raises an important question about the political ramifications of market concentration. Do mergers…
By: Laura Alexander (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth announces Shayna Strom as new president and CEO (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 10, 2023
The Washington Center for Equitable Growth Board of Directors today announced that Shayna Strom has been named its new president and CEO. Strom had been serving as the organization’s interim…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
ASSA 2023 Round-up: Day 3 (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 9, 2023
Yesterday was the third and final day of the 2023 annual meeting of the Allied Social Science Associations, which is organized by the American Economic Association. The 3-day conference, held…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
ASSA 2023 Round-up: Day 2 (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 8, 2023
Yesterday was the second day of the 2023 annual meeting of the Allied Social Science Associations, which is organized by the American Economic Association. The 3-day conference, held in person…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
ASSA 2023 Round-up: Day 1 (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 7, 2023
Yesterday was the first day of the 2023 annual meeting of the Allied Social Science Associations, which is organized by the American Economic Association. The 3-day conference, held in person…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: December 2022 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 6, 2023
On January 6 the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data on the U.S. labor market during the month of December. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab), Austin Clemens (opens in a new tab)
JOLTS Day Graphs: November 2022 Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 4, 2023
Every month the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases data on hiring, firing, and other labor market flows from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, better known as JOLTS.…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
The importance of understanding how job quality affects U.S. workers and the entire economy, and how to boost access to good jobs (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 22, 2022
Even during economic expansions and periods of robust employment growth, millions of workers in the United States face economic insecurity and precarious working conditions. Low pay, safety hazards, lack of…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
A missed opportunity to expand the Child Tax Credit will affect U.S. families and the broader economy now and for years to come (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 21, 2022
Earlier this week, the U.S. Congress released its proposed omnibus bill that funds the federal government through September 2023 and makes various other reforms to the nation’s retirement system, antitrust…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
New digital tools demonstrate the promise of measuring well-being in the United States (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 21, 2022
This summer, the Washington Center for Equitable Growth partnered with New America, the Justice, Health & Democracy Impact Initiative at Harvard University, and the U.S. Departments of Commerce and the…
By: Elizabeth Garlow (opens in a new tab), Austin Clemens (opens in a new tab), Anthony Guidotti (opens in a new tab)
Fighting tax evasion by the wealthy can raise revenue and restore the integrity of the U.S. tax system (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 20, 2022
Recent estimates suggest that as much as $36 billion a year in taxes are unpaid by Americans hiding wealth abroad, and more than $50 billion more is lost due to…
By: Jeanne Bomare (opens in a new tab), Daniel Reck (opens in a new tab)
How the new Global Repository of Income Dynamics database sheds light on income inequality and economic mobility (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 15, 2022
Economists have long known that a rigorous understanding of inequality is only possible with high-quality data. To this end, developments in economic models since the 1970s have helped advance our…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Why workplace dignity is valuable to U.S. workers, employers, and the broader economy (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 14, 2022
The role of employment in the lives of many U.S. workers and their families is more than just a way to provide for oneself and one’s loved ones. Jobs are…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth delivers comment letter responding to U.S. Department of Labor’s Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on classifying employees and independent contractors (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 13, 2022
The Washington Center for Equitable Growth this week delivered a comment letter responding to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division’s proposed rulemaking on how to determine who…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth delivers comment letter responding to the National Labor Relations Board’s Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Joint-Employer Standard (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 7, 2022
The Washington Center for Equitable Growth this week delivered a comment letter responding to the National Labor Relations Board Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Joint-Employer Standard. The comment letter…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth works to expand its network of scholars researching inequality and growth at two fall academic conferences (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 6, 2022
Since its founding in 2013, the Washington Center for Equitable Growth has supported scholars across disciplines and along the career ladder who are studying the effects of inequality on economic…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: November 2022 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 2, 2022
On December 2 the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data on the U.S. labor market during the month of November. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Frequently asked questions about paid sick time for U.S. workers and their families and the broader U.S. economy (opens in a new tab)
Blog NOV 30, 2022
Sometimes people in the United States experience health conditions that affect their ability to work, whether it’s a cold, flu, or cancer. This may lead to questions about whether they…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Railway negotiations highlight the importance of paid sick time for U.S. workers and the broader economy (opens in a new tab)
Blog NOV 30, 2022
The U.S. Congress this week is considering legislation imposing a new contract on U.S. railroad workers to avert a potential strike following a breakdown in negotiations between several of the…
By: Alix Gould-Werth (opens in a new tab), Sam Abbott (opens in a new tab)
Ahead of the November jobs report, here’s what recent disaggregated data say about the state of the U.S. labor market and economic growth (opens in a new tab)
Blog NOV 30, 2022
Ahead of the release of November’s Employment Situation Summary on December 2, an examination of the past few months of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data shows some signs…
By: Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab), Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab)
JOLTS Day Graphs: October 2022 Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog NOV 30, 2022
Every month the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases data on hiring, firing, and other labor market flows from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, better known as JOLTS.…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth delivers comment letter responding to FTC’s Advanced Notice of Proposing Rulemaking on Commercial Surveillance and Data Security (opens in a new tab)
Blog NOV 21, 2022
The Washington Center for Equitable Growth this week delivered a comment letter responding to the Federal Trade Commission’s Advanced Notice of Proposing Rulemaking on Commercial Surveillance and Data Security. The…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
What are the distributional effects of monetary policy? (opens in a new tab)
Blog NOV 17, 2022
The Washington Center for Equitable Growth recently announced our 2023 Request for Proposals to support research investigating the various channels through which economic inequality, in all its forms, may or…
By: Shaun Harrison (opens in a new tab)
Supermarket chain Kroger’s takeover of rival Albertsons is a test for U.S. antitrust law on pre-closing dividends (opens in a new tab)
Blog NOV 16, 2022
The recently proposed $24.6 billion takeover of the nation’s fourth-largest supermarket chain, Albertsons Companies Inc., by the second-largest chain, Kroger Co., poses an array of serious and apparent antitrust concerns…
By: Laura Alexander (opens in a new tab)
Advancing research and evidence on child care and U.S. economic growth (opens in a new tab)
Blog NOV 10, 2022
Research shows that accessible and affordable child care is both a lifeline for working families and a driver of growth across the entire U.S. economy. A functioning child care market…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Including immigrants in the U.S. tax system is fiscally responsible and can boost economic growth by lifting the well-being of their families (opens in a new tab)
Blog NOV 10, 2022
The recently enacted Inflation Reduction Act boasts the potential for more noncitizen immigrant workers and entrepreneurs to pay into the U.S. tax system, improving the federal government’s tax collection. What’s…
By: Shayak Sarkar (opens in a new tab)
Green jobs are good for U.S. workers and the U.S. economy (opens in a new tab)
Blog NOV 8, 2022
Earlier this year, the U.S. Congress passed and President Joe Biden signed into law one of the most consequential climate bills in U.S. history. The Inflation Reduction Act allocates $369…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Enacting a minimum wage for tipped workers is on the ballot in two U.S. cities. Here’s what the research says (opens in a new tab)
Blog NOV 4, 2022
In most cities and states across the United States, servers and other so-called front-of-house staff in the restaurant industry earn a subminimum wage for tipped workers. Whether and how this…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: October 2022 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog NOV 4, 2022
On November 4, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data on the U.S. labor market during the month of October. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth…
By: Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab), Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab)
The Fed is aggressively but perhaps deliberately playing catch-up on inflation (opens in a new tab)
Blog NOV 2, 2022
The members of the Federal Reserve Board’s interest-rate-setting committee are almost universally expected to raise interest rates by 0.75 percentage points this week, as they have at each of their…
By: Michael Madowitz (opens in a new tab)
JOLTS Day Graphs: September 2022 Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog NOV 1, 2022
Every month the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases data on hiring, firing, and other labor market flows from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, better known as JOLTS.…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
What federal statistical agencies can do to improve survey response rates among Hispanic communities in the United States (opens in a new tab)
Blog OCT 14, 2022
Between 2010 and 2020, the Hispanic American population grew 23 percent, making it one of the fastest-growing communities in the United States. According to the 2020 decennial census, Hispanic Americans…
By: Raksha Kopparam (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: September 2022 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog OCT 7, 2022
On October 7, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data on the U.S. labor market during the month of September. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth announces two Dissertation Scholars for 2022–23 academic year (opens in a new tab)
Blog OCT 6, 2022
The Washington Center for Equitable Growth each year offers funding and mentorship opportunities to two pre-doctoral students through our Dissertation Scholars program. This program, whose application coincides with Equitable Growth’s…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth provides comments to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis on its new distributing personal income report (opens in a new tab)
Blog OCT 5, 2022
In December 2021, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis released a report that studied the feasibility of releasing its distributing personal income product on a quarterly basis. This feasibility study…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
JOLTS Day Graphs: August 2022 Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog OCT 4, 2022
Every month the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases data on hiring, firing, and other labor market flows from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, better known as JOLTS.…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Budget analyses of U.S. income support programs must incorporate long-term benefits for children (opens in a new tab)
Blog SEP 22, 2022
When any piece of legislation is considered by the U.S. Congress, it typically goes through a budget analysis to establish its impact on the federal government’s bottom line. These analyses,…
By: Anna Aizer (opens in a new tab), Hilary Hoynes (opens in a new tab), Adriana Lleras-Muney (opens in a new tab)
Policymakers can still use American Rescue Plan funds to bolster the U.S. child care system and ensure it has a strong future (opens in a new tab)
Blog SEP 20, 2022
In January, the 118th Congress will draw to a close following a productive session that saw legislative action on pandemic relief, infrastructure investments, manufacturing and research incentives, and critical investments…
By: Sam Abbott (opens in a new tab)
New research shows that 1 in 4 adults in the United States suffers from transportation insecurity (opens in a new tab)
Blog SEP 14, 2022
Access to transportation is crucial to ensuring that people can meet their basic needs and participate in society and the economy. It goes without saying that if people can’t get…
By: Alix Gould-Werth (opens in a new tab)
Consumers initially spend less than a third of their stimulus checks, on average, amid recessions (opens in a new tab)
Blog SEP 12, 2022
Economists and policymakers alike generally agree on the effectiveness of sending out direct stimulus checks to individuals to help reverse an economic downturn by encouraging more consumer spending. But they…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth names Shayna Strom as interim president and CEO (opens in a new tab)
Blog SEP 8, 2022
The Washington Center for Equitable Growth today announced that Shayna Strom has been named its interim president and CEO. Strom comes to the organization with decades of experience bridging nonprofits,…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Measuring spending inequality in the United States in real time (opens in a new tab)
Blog SEP 8, 2022
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting recession in 2020, followed by a swift U.S. economic recovery, offer lessons today about why real-time data are so crucial to…
By: Loujaina Abdelwahed (opens in a new tab), Jacob Robbins (opens in a new tab), Cole Campbell (opens in a new tab), Shogher Ohannessian (opens in a new tab), Todd Czurylo (opens in a new tab)
New research suggests that social circles affect upward mobility among U.S. children and young adults (opens in a new tab)
Blog SEP 7, 2022
In recent weeks, students across the United States headed back to school to continue their educations. From Kindergarten through high school and into college, these students are gaining valuable human…
By: Kreg Steven Brown (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: August 2022 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog SEP 2, 2022
On September 2, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data on the U.S. labor market during the month of August. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab), Raksha Kopparam (opens in a new tab)
Ahead of September’s jobs report, here is what the past 3 months of labor market data reveal about the health of the U.S. labor market (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 31, 2022
Over the past few months, the U.S. labor market continued its strong recovery from the initial shock delivered by the COVID-19 crisis, reaching pre-pandemic levels of nonfarm payrolls in July.…
By: Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab), Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab), Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab)
JOLTS Day Graphs: July 2022 Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 30, 2022
Every month the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases data on hiring, firing, and other labor market flows from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, better known as JOLTS.…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s 2022 grantees will study the drivers and effects of U.S. economic inequality (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 30, 2022
The Washington Center for Equitable Growth today announced its slate of 2022 grantees. More than $1 million in funding will be dispersed to 42 scholars from economics and other social…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Why the Inflation Reduction Act is key to strong, broad-based U.S. economic growth (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 16, 2022
The Inflation Reduction Act spells good news for the U.S. economy. The newly signed legislation makes historic investments to combat climate change, lower healthcare costs, and crack down on tax…
By: David S. Mitchell (opens in a new tab)
How to stop a recession by strengthening income supports in the United States (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 15, 2022
Income support programs, such as Unemployment Insurance and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, are powerful tools to deploy when the threat of recession looms and unemployment climbs. By providing income…
By: Alix Gould-Werth (opens in a new tab)
American Sociological Association 2022 conference highlights inequities among vulnerable U.S. populations (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 12, 2022
The American Sociological Association held its 117th Annual Meeting from August 5–9, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. This event gathers sociologists and those involved in the scientific study of society…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Policymakers tackling inflation can’t overlook the impact of higher interest rates on the U.S. child care market (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 11, 2022
As families in the United States grapple with rising prices and ongoing supply shortages, fiscal and monetary policymakers are shifting their focus from the COVID-19 recession and recovery to the…
By: Sam Abbott (opens in a new tab)
The economic evidence behind the Inflation Reduction Act and why it will boost strong, broad-based economic growth (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 5, 2022
The Inflation Reduction Act spells good news for the U.S. economy. The proposed legislation now before the U.S. Senate would make historic investments to combat climate change, lower healthcare costs,…
By: David S. Mitchell (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: July 2022 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 5, 2022
On August 5, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data on the U.S. labor market during the month of July. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
The inequitable consequences of ‘heat islands’ within the metropolitan areas of the United States and what to do about it (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 3, 2022
Environmental science finds that so-called heat islands occur when urbanized areas experience much higher temperatures than neighboring outlying areas within major metropolitan areas. In and around U.S. cities, more affluent…
By: Michael Garvey (opens in a new tab)
JOLTS Day Graphs: June 2022 Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 2, 2022
Every month the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases data on hiring, firing, and other labor market flows from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, better known as JOLTS.…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
NBER Summer Institute 2022 Round-up: Week 3 (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 1, 2022
On July 11, the National Bureau of Economic Research kicked off its summer institute, an annual 3-week conference featuring discussions and paper presentations on various topics in economics, including environmental…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Taxing the rich: The effect of tax reform and the COVID-19 pandemic on tax flight among U.S. millionaires (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 28, 2022
Taxing the rich is one of the central policy debates in this time of rising inequality. Elite taxation can change the distribution of income in society, support equitable growth, and…
By: Cristobal Young (opens in a new tab), Ithai Lurie (opens in a new tab)
A primer on monopsony power: Its causes, consequences, and implications for U.S. workers and economic growth (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 27, 2022
At its most basic, monopsony refers to a market where there is a single buyer of a good or service. Economist Joan Robinson first introduced the term in the early…
By: Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
NBER Summer Institute 2022 Round-up: Week 2 (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 26, 2022
On July 11, the National Bureau of Economic Research kicked off its summer institute, an annual 3-week conference featuring discussions and paper presentations on various topics in economics, including disaggregating…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
New working paper examines the evolution of economic thought on the impact of technological change in the labor market (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 19, 2022
How have automation and digital technologies contributed to wage inequality in recent decades? It may seem like a straightforward question, but it is one that has been difficult for economists…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab)
NBER Summer Institute 2022 Round-up: Week 1 (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 18, 2022
On July 11, the National Bureau of Economic Research kicked off its summer institute, an annual 3-week conference featuring discussions and paper presentations on various topics in economics, including monopsony…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
COVID-19 recession and ensuing economic recovery reveals why Unemployment Insurance fails to reach marginalized U.S. workers (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 13, 2022
Policymakers at the state and federal levels of government in the United States who are steeped in the nation’s Unemployment Insurance system are well aware that many unemployed workers fail…
By: Eliza Forsythe (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: June 2022 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 8, 2022
On July 8, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data on the U.S. labor market during the month of June. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Canada is the first country to release subannual statistics on the distribution of income. Here’s how it was done. (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 7, 2022
Statistics Canada, the umbrella agency for national statistics in Canada, is the first statistical agency in the world to release subannual data on how economic growth is distributed among rich…
By: Austin Clemens (opens in a new tab)
JOLTS Day Graphs: May 2022 Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 6, 2022
Every month the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases data on hiring, firing, and other labor market flows from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, better known as JOLTS.…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Reduced job turnover in small U.S. firms is an overlooked benefit of paid sick leave (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 5, 2022
For those U.S. workers fortunate enough to have access to it, paid sick leave is a vital tool for protecting both the public’s health and their own economic stability when…
By: Hilary Wething (opens in a new tab)
This year’s Juneteenth is a celebration of emancipation and a reminder that pervasive wealth inequality persists for most African Americans (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUN 17, 2022
Following nationwide protests across the United States in 2020 against police brutality, the push for federal recognition of Juneteenth gained momentum, with the U.S. Congress enacting legislation in the summer…
By: Shanteal Lake (opens in a new tab)
LERA 2022 participants focus on boosting worker power and uplifting marginalized voices in the U.S. workplace (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUN 9, 2022
The Labor and Employment Relations Association recently held its 74th annual conference, gathering hundreds of presenters and attendees virtually from across industries, and including participants from labor, management, government, advocacy,…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
May jobs report: Young workers are entering a uniquely evolving U.S. labor market (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUN 3, 2022
The recovery in the U.S. labor market continued in May, with 390,000 jobs added and the unemployment rate holding steady at nearly its pre-pandemic level at 3.6 percent, according to…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: May 2022 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUN 3, 2022
On June 3, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data on the U.S. labor market during the month of May. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab), Raksha Kopparam (opens in a new tab)
JOLTS Day Graphs: April 2022 Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUN 1, 2022
Every month the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases data on hiring, firing, and other labor market flows from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, better known as JOLTS.…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab), Raksha Kopparam (opens in a new tab)
Is there a skilled labor shortage? The economic evidence on skills gap and labor shortage concerns (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 31, 2022
Claims of a “skills gap” or “labor shortage” in the United States are often cited during times of high unemployment as the reason why workers are unable to find jobs…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab)
Common ownership in the U.S. economy (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 25, 2022
Large investment management companies such as BlackRock Inc., The Vanguard Group Inc., and Fidelity Investments—each with tens of trillions of dollars of assets under management—offer a wide array of mutual…
By: Florian Ederer (opens in a new tab), Bruno Pellegrino (opens in a new tab)
Developing a research agenda on racial and gender equity in the pandemic-era U.S. labor market (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 24, 2022
This summation of a joint roundtable discussion was written in partnership with The Century Foundation. Now, more than 2 years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United…
By: Sam Abbott (opens in a new tab), Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Julie Kashen (opens in a new tab)
New research explains how better-quality work schedules increase U.S. retail workers’ productivity and store profits (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 24, 2022
In the retail and service sectors, store managers are engaged in a perpetual balancing act to ensure that their supply of both goods and labor ebbs and flows with customers’…
By: Sam Abbott (opens in a new tab)
New research shows Fair Workweek laws ensure workers have more predictable schedules without sacrificing their hours worked (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 23, 2022
Low-income workers in the United States, especially those in the service sector, face highly unpredictable work hours and pay. Many workers report chaotic employer practices that make balancing work and…
By: Elizabeth Oltmans Ananat (opens in a new tab), Anna Gassman-Pines (opens in a new tab), John Fitz-Henley II (opens in a new tab)
Recent working paper explores connection between capital investment and labor demand in the United States (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 20, 2022
The increasing visibility of artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies in the workplace is drawing new attention to how employers integrate technology into work processes and what effects these decisions…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab)
Three observations from the kick-off of a new consensus study by the National Academy of Sciences on measuring U.S. economic inequality (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 19, 2022
A new National Academy of Sciences panel convened publicly for the first time this week to discuss how statistical agencies should unify and improve the measurement of inequality in income,…
By: Austin Clemens (opens in a new tab)
Child care costs are going to rise, but policymakers can help U.S. families manage these increases (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 18, 2022
For decades, the U.S. child care market has been on the verge of a crisis. As any parent knows, child care in the United States has long been too expensive,…
By: Sam Abbott (opens in a new tab)
New research shows unstable schedules do not offer more flexibility for U.S. workers (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 18, 2022
A growing body of research documents the costs of schedule instability for workers in the United States. Inconsistent shifts make it harder for workers to maintain routines or plan their…
By: Peter J. Fugiel (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth to welcome visiting scholars as part of two American Economic Association summer programs (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 16, 2022
The Washington Center for Equitable Growth is excited to welcome three scholars and students who will join the organization this summer through programs offered by the American Economic Association. As…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
New research documents the high cost of residential racial segregation in Northern cities of the United States (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 9, 2022
The violent effects of systemic racial segregation are ever-present in U.S. cities today, especially in the big Northern cities that were destinations for Black Americans fleeing racial oppression and violence…
By: Jamein Cunningham (opens in a new tab), Alberto Ortega (opens in a new tab), Robynn Cox (opens in a new tab), Kenneth D. Whaley (opens in a new tab)
Jobs report: Amid continued job gains, Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander workers experience the U.S. labor market in different and often hidden ways (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 6, 2022
Between mid-March and mid-April, the U.S. economy added a strong 428,000 jobs, making it the 12th consecutive month in which employment growth surpasses 400,000 jobs. In addition, according to the…
By: Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab), Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: April 2022 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 6, 2022
On May 6, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data on the U.S. labor market during the month of April. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
JOLTS Day Graphs: March 2022 Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 3, 2022
Every month the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases data on hiring, firing, and other labor market flows from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, better known as JOLTS.…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Unions and the enforcement of labor rights: How organized labor protects U.S. workers against unfair and illegal employment practices (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 29, 2022
After decades of declining unionization rates and rising income inequality in the United States, the past few years have seen glimmers of the vibrancy of the U.S. labor movement in…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Testimony by Michelle Holder before the Joint Economic Committee on robust government investments (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 27, 2022
Thank you, Chair Beyer, Ranking Member Lee, Vice Chair Heinrich, and members of the Joint Economic Committee, for inviting me to speak today. It’s an honor to be here virtually.…
By: Michelle Holder (opens in a new tab)
Modeling future economic damages from climate change is an important and underdeveloped area of research (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 22, 2022
This year’s Earth Day celebrations come on the heels of yet another devastating UN report detailing the consequences of climate change—and the global lack of action to mitigate its effects—for…
By: Michael Garvey (opens in a new tab)
Kate Bahn testimony before the Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth on imbalance of power (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 6, 2022
Thank you, Chair Himes, Ranking Member Steil, and members of the Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth, for inviting me to testify today. My name is Kate…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab)
Understanding the economics of monopsony: How labor markets work under imperfect competition (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 6, 2022
Contrary to what many of us were taught in Introduction to Economics courses in college and graduate school, markets are rarely perfectly competitive. In the case of the market for…
By: Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Jobs report: U.S. employment data shows continuing strong job gains, with employment in the warehousing and transportation industry well-above pre-pandemic levels (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 1, 2022
The U.S. economy experienced another month of strong employment gains between mid-February and mid-March, adding 431,000 new jobs. According to the most recent Employment Situation Summary released this morning by…
By: Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab), Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: March 2022 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 1, 2022
On April 1, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data on the U.S. labor market during the month of March. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management conference spotlights the value of diversity in U.S. policy analysis and research (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 31, 2022
Earlier this week, the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management held its 2021 fall conference in Austin, Texas. The event, which was rescheduled late last year due to the…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
JOLTS Day Graphs: February 2022 Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 29, 2022
Every month the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases data on hiring, firing, and other labor market flows from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, better known as JOLTS.…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
The American Rescue Plan helped U.S. families amid the coronavirus pandemic and provides a roadmap for policymakers today (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 11, 2022
When the coronavirus pandemic began to spread across the United States in March 2020 its impact was immediate and severe. The U.S. unemployment rate skyrocketed from a 50-year low of…
By: Michelle Holder (opens in a new tab)
JOLTS Day Graphs: January 2022 Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 9, 2022
Every month the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases data on hiring, firing, and other labor market flows from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, better known as JOLTS.…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
February Jobs Day report: U.S. employment growth is still strong, but some care sector workers are being left behind (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 4, 2022
The U.S. economy continued its streak of strong month-to-month employment gains, adding 678,000 jobs between mid-January and mid-February. According to data released this morning by the U.S. Bureau of Labor…
By: Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab), Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: February 2022 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 4, 2022
On March 4, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data on the U.S. labor market during the month of February. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
The Economic State of the Union in 2022, presented in 11 charts, and what policymakers can do to make the recovery more equitable and resilient (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 1, 2022
Today, President Joe Biden will give his State of the Union Address, approximately 1 year into his administration and 2 years after COVID-19 struck the United States. The coronavirus recession…
By: Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab), Raksha Kopparam (opens in a new tab), Maryam Janani-Flores (opens in a new tab)
How Black activists spurred the U.S. government to expand school meal programs, addressing child hunger and boosting future productivity (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 22, 2022
Every school day, millions of students at public and private, nonprofit schools across the United States enjoy free or low-cost meals supported by the National School Lunch Program and School…
By: Shaun Harrison (opens in a new tab), Shanteal Lake (opens in a new tab), Sam Abbott (opens in a new tab)
Is moving to a new place key to upward mobility for U.S. workers and their families? (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 14, 2022
U.S. history is rife with examples of groups and individuals upending their lives and migrating in search of better economic opportunities for themselves, their families, and their descendants. This process…
By: Ellora Derenoncourt (opens in a new tab)
African American men and the U.S. labor market during recessions and economic recoveries (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 11, 2022
In my 2017 book, African American Men and the Labor Market During The Great Recession, I provided a multidimensional background on the disproportionate impact experienced by African American male workers…
By: Michelle Holder (opens in a new tab)
January Jobs report: U.S. employment growth surpasses expectations, but it is essential to boost job quality in manufacturing (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 4, 2022
The U.S. economy added 467,000 jobs between mid-December and mid-January, according to the most recent Employment Situation Summary by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Even with COVID-19 cases reaching an…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: January 2022 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 4, 2022
On February 4, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data on the U.S. labor market during the month of January. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
JOLTS Day Graphs: December 2021 Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 1, 2022
Every month the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases data on hiring, firing, and other labor market flows from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, better known as JOLTS.…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Six charts that explain how inequality in the United States changed over the past 20 years (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 1, 2022
The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, in late 2021, updated its data series on income inequality in the United States. This update adds data for 2019 and extends the data…
By: Austin Clemens (opens in a new tab)
How a large employer’s low-road practices harm local labor markets: The impact of Walmart Supercenters (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 28, 2022
Large employers in the United States can have significant impacts on the local labor markets in which they operate, not only affecting their employees directly but also spilling over to…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s new efforts to foster more diversity in grantmaking and new pathways for scholars in the economics profession (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 19, 2022
The Washington Center for Equitable Growth is increasing its efforts and resources to help tackle the enduring challenges to diversify the economics profession, as well as expanding and strengthening the…
By: Christian Edlagan (opens in a new tab)
Understanding how U.S. workers can benefit from workplace automation and artificial intelligence (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 18, 2022
The daily economic news cycle is awash with stories these days about the threat of automation and artificial intelligence to the future of work for hundreds of millions of U.S.…
By: Byron Auguste (opens in a new tab)
Fostering academic research on U.S. economic impact payments that goes beyond the marginal propensity to consume (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 18, 2022
Direct government payments to individuals are now a standard part of U.S. fiscal policymakers’ recession-fighting toolkit. Three rounds of so-called economic impact payments from the federal government have been paid…
By: Karen Dynan (opens in a new tab)
Paid sick leave improves public health outcomes and supports U.S. workers at a relatively low cost to employers (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 12, 2022
The United States is one of only three high-income countries in the world that does not have a universal paid sick leave program available to its workforce. Although an emergency…
By: Catherine Maclean (opens in a new tab), Stefan Pichler (opens in a new tab), Nicolas R. Ziebarth (opens in a new tab)
Austerity policies in the United States caused ‘stagflation’ in the 1970s and would do so again today (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 11, 2022
In the current debate among economists and policymakers in the United States about the causes of inflation, one of the most persistent and most deeply rooted questions is whether today’s…
By: Andrew Elrod (opens in a new tab)
Jobs Report: U.S. employment growth slowed in December, with the leisure and hospitality industry far from recovered (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 7, 2022
U.S. employment growth was much weaker than most estimates expected in December, according to the latest Employment Situation Summary by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Data collected the first…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: December 2021 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 7, 2022
On January 7, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data on the U.S. labor market during the month of December. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
JOLTS Day Graphs: November 2021 Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 4, 2022
Every month the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases data on hiring, firing, and other labor market flows from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, better known as JOLTS.…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
What happened to the federal minimum wage debate? (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 23, 2021
In 1912, textile workers in Lawrence, Massachusetts—mostly immigrant women from countries including Cuba, Ireland, Italy, Syria, and elsewhere—went on strike in response to wage cuts. This strike is sometimes referred…
By: Michelle Holder (opens in a new tab), Shaun Harrison (opens in a new tab)
Recent Equitable Growth-funded research sheds light on the links between paid family and medical leave research and U.S. economic growth (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 23, 2021
The Washington Center for Equitable Growth has long prioritized the generation of new research on the economic effects of paid family and medical leave in the United States. This line…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Billionaires Income Tax proposal seeks to ensure that U.S. ultra-wealthy pay their fair share in taxes (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 17, 2021
There is a growing recognition among policymakers in Washington that something must be done to address the ever-widening U.S. wealth divide, which is especially dramatic when broken out by race.…
By: David S. Mitchell (opens in a new tab)
Worker power and pay quality for young workers without a college degree in the United States (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 9, 2021
New cross-country research by economist David Howell at The New School (also an Equitable Growth grantee and a member of Equitable Growth’s Research Advisory Board) provides strong evidence that the…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s academic research and policy priorities shine through at Southern Economic Conference 2021 (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 9, 2021
The Southern Economic Association recently held its 91st Annual Meeting, gathering a diverse group of scholars from U.S. and international universities to discuss their research in theory and applied economics.…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
House Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 8, 2021
Hearing on “Growing our Economy by Investing in Families: How Supporting Family Caregiving Expands Economic Opportunity and Benefits All Americans” Testimony by Michelle Holder, President and CEO of the Washington…
By: Michelle Holder (opens in a new tab)
JOLTS Day Graphs: October 2021 Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 8, 2021
Every month the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases data on hiring, firing, and other labor market flows from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, better known as JOLTS.…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab), Raksha Kopparam (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth joins NewDEAL Leaders to discuss child care in the post-pandemic U.S. economy (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 7, 2021
As the U.S. Congress finalizes its negotiations around the Build Back Better Act, policymakers at the federal, state, and local levels of government continue working to rebuild their respective economies…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Jobs report: November posted weaker-than-expected job gains while visa backlogs could dampen further U.S. employment growth (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 3, 2021
According to the most recent Employment Situation Summary by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. economy added 210,000 jobs between mid-October and mid-November—less than half the number of…
By: Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab), Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: November 2021 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 3, 2021
On December 3, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data on the U.S. labor market during the month of November. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
The telling connection between affirmative action litigation, the racial composition of U.S. police forces, and the level of police killings of civilians (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 2, 2021
The disproportionate killing of innocent and unarmed Black men and women by police forces across the United States continues today despite more than five decades of steadily integrating many of…
By: Robynn Cox (opens in a new tab), Jamein Cunningham (opens in a new tab), Alberto Ortega (opens in a new tab)
The impact of neighborhood disparities on intergenerational mobility and economic growth in the United States (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 1, 2021
The neighborhoods and communities in which we grow up and live affect our future life outcomes. Yet the push for policymakers to address neighborhood disparities in health and economic outcomes…
By: Patrick Edwards (opens in a new tab)
Addressing the ‘double gap’ faced by Black women in the U.S. economy (opens in a new tab)
Blog NOV 30, 2021
In my testimony before the Joint Economic Committee of the U.S. Congress this past summer, I presented some of the findings from my 2020 report, “The “Double Gap” and the…
By: Michelle Holder (opens in a new tab)
U.S. disability programs provide valuable benefits to low-income recipients across a range of health conditions (opens in a new tab)
Blog NOV 22, 2021
The three components of the U.S. social insurance system serve retirees and those recipients facing challenging health conditions. But all three programs have grown in recent decades, sparking various calls…
By: Manasi Deshpande (opens in a new tab)
The importance of neighborhoods and intergenerational economic inequality in the United States (opens in a new tab)
Blog NOV 19, 2021
Many neighborhoods and communities across the United States are shaped by pervasive economic inequality spanning multiple generations. This intergenerational economic inequality today limits the prosperity of many people who want…
By: Vincient Whatley (opens in a new tab)
New research highlights the necessity of improving wage standards and bargaining power for low-wage workers in the United States (opens in a new tab)
Blog NOV 17, 2021
A new working paper sheds new light on the lack of bargaining power among low-wage workers in the United States by examining workers’ ability to bargain over wages when they…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab)
Wage bargaining is an important, yet unavailable, tool for many U.S. workers to increase their incomes (opens in a new tab)
Blog NOV 16, 2021
Understanding the various ways in which wages are set in the U.S. economy is crucial to analyzing economic activity and worker well-being. Phenomena such as wage and earnings growth, worker…
By: Marta Lachowska (opens in a new tab), Alexandre Mas (opens in a new tab), Raffaele Saggio (opens in a new tab), Stephen Woodbury (opens in a new tab)
JOLTS Day Graphs: September 2021 Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog NOV 12, 2021
Every month the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases data on hiring, firing, and other labor market flows from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, better known as JOLTS.…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
New research shows the importance of worker power for addressing U.S. wage inequality (opens in a new tab)
Blog NOV 9, 2021
Workers in the United States over the past 40 years experienced stagnant real wages for those at the lower end of the income distribution, along with rising income inequality, even…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
October U.S. Jobs report: Employment growth picked up steam last month (opens in a new tab)
Blog NOV 5, 2021
Job gains in the U.S. labor market picked up in October, according to the latest Employment Situation Summary released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Between mid-September and…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: October 2021 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog NOV 5, 2021
On November 5th, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data on the U.S. labor market during the month of October. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Testimony by Michelle Holder before the Joint Economic Committee (opens in a new tab)
Blog OCT 28, 2021
Michelle Holder, the current president and CEO of the Washington Center for Equitable Growth, testified before the Joint Economic Committee of the U.S. Congress this past summer, when she was…
By: Michelle Holder (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth launches A Visual Economy: Our newest tool to showcase thousands of visuals on economic inequality and growth (opens in a new tab)
Blog OCT 27, 2021
The Washington Center for Equitable Growth last week launched A Visual Economy, a new tool to explore thousands of graphics, charts, and figures created by our staff over the past…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Dispatch from EconCon 2021: Addressing racial and gender stratification in the U.S. economy is key to an equitable and sustainable recovery (opens in a new tab)
Blog OCT 21, 2021
The 2-day EconCon 2021 conference, held virtually from October 6–7, featured speakers, panelists, and moderators from across the progressive policy and academic landscape. They were tasked by the co-hosts of…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth scholars highlight the need for broad investment in U.S. social infrastructure (opens in a new tab)
Blog OCT 20, 2021
Our nation’s social infrastructure is composed of the economic and social investments that are necessary for U.S. workers and families to be able to take care of their loved ones…
By: Alix Gould-Werth (opens in a new tab), Sam Abbott (opens in a new tab)
Evidence shows that now is the time to invest in U.S. workers and their families (opens in a new tab)
Blog OCT 20, 2021
In February 2020, we set out to examine the effects of a new predictable scheduling ordinance in eastern Pennsylvania on low-wage service-sector workers. We had no idea that the workers…
By: Elizabeth Oltmans Ananat (opens in a new tab), Anna Gassman-Pines (opens in a new tab)
JOLTS Day Graphs: August 2021 Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog OCT 12, 2021
Every month the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases data on hiring, firing, and other labor market flows from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, better known as JOLTS.…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
New study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows schedule stability supports U.S. workers and the broader economy (opens in a new tab)
Blog OCT 12, 2021
As COVID-19 vaccination rates rise in the United States many businesses, especially in hard-hit industries such as retail and food service, are seeking to fill positions to keep pace with…
By: Alix Gould-Werth (opens in a new tab), Emilie Openchowski (opens in a new tab), Raksha Kopparam (opens in a new tab)
Problems in the U.S. care sectors risk holding back the economic recovery amid another month of disappointing job gains (opens in a new tab)
Blog OCT 8, 2021
According to the latest Employment Situation Summary by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the economy added 194,000 jobs in September—well below expectations and substantially less than the average 806,000…
By: Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab), Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: September 2021 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog OCT 8, 2021
On October 8th, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data on the U.S. labor market during the month of August. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth welcomes two new Dissertation Scholars for 2021–22 academic year (opens in a new tab)
Blog SEP 22, 2021
The Washington Center for Equitable Growth through its Dissertation Scholars Program supports pre-doctoral students from the social sciences who are studying the links between inequality and growth. With a stipend…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s 2021 policy conference features key speakers and panelists discussing inclusive U.S. economic growth after the coronavirus recession (opens in a new tab)
Blog SEP 17, 2021
The coronavirus pandemic and resulting historic economic and societal shock revealed underlying systemic fragility driven by longstanding economic inequalities and structural racism. More expansive, more transformative, and more equitable economic…
By: Maryam Janani-Flores (opens in a new tab), Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
The value of racial and gender diversity at the Federal Reserve (opens in a new tab)
Blog SEP 16, 2021
The Federal Reserve’s so-called dual mandate to maintain overall price stability and maximum sustainable growth in U.S. employment is always on the minds of the U.S. central bank’s Federal Open…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Congressional investments in social infrastructure would support immediate and long-term U.S. economic growth (opens in a new tab)
Blog SEP 16, 2021
The U.S. Congress this month began voting on a bevy of bills and amendments designed to shore up the nation’s social infrastructure as part of a legislative process known as…
By: Alix Gould-Werth (opens in a new tab), Sam Abbott (opens in a new tab)
Economic security and opportunity for women under threat after U.S. Supreme Court takes anti-abortion stance in Texas (opens in a new tab)
Blog SEP 8, 2021
Nearly 1 in 4 women in the United States—whether single, married, living with a partner, or divorced—will have an abortion by the age of 45, and nearly 1 in 20…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Maryam Janani-Flores (opens in a new tab)
JOLTS Day Graphs: July 2021 Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog SEP 8, 2021
Every month the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases data on hiring, firing, and other labor market flows from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, better known as JOLTS.…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab), Raksha Kopparam (opens in a new tab)
The coming public debt scare should not spook U.S. policymakers from investing in physical and social infrastructure (opens in a new tab)
Blog SEP 7, 2021
Public debt scaremongering is back in fashion on Capitol Hill. Republican legislators, from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) on down, are invoking the high level of federal government debt—currently…
By: Barry Eichengreen (opens in a new tab)
August Jobs Report: Uncertainty and teacher shortages loom over the new school year (opens in a new tab)
Blog SEP 3, 2021
There was a telling slowdown in the recovery of U.S. jobs in August, according to the most recent Employment Situation Release by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics today. Amid…
By: Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab), Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: August 2021 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog SEP 3, 2021
On September 3, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data on the U.S. labor market during the month of August. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
The ‘Transportation Security Index’ can help the United States plan for a more equitable transportation future (opens in a new tab)
Blog SEP 2, 2021
On his first day in office, President Joe Biden signed an executive order titled “Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.” Recognizing that the federal…
By: Alix Gould-Werth (opens in a new tab), Alexandra Murphy (opens in a new tab)
Labor Day: How unions promote racial solidarity in the United States (opens in a new tab)
Blog SEP 2, 2021
Research consistently demonstrates that unions across the United States promote the enforcement of labor protections, increase pay for both union and nonunion members, and reduce income inequality. Importantly, labor organizations…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Completing the unfinished New Deal to overcome 21st century U.S. economic inequality (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 31, 2021
President Joe Biden wants Congress to enact his two signature legislative packages—the $1 trillion bipartisan physical infrastructure plan passed by the U.S. Senate earlier in August and a $3.5 trillion…
By: David S. Mitchell (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth announces record $1.39 million in research grants for scholars examining economic inequality and growth (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 30, 2021
The Washington Center for Equitable Growth today announced its 2021 research grants, with funding of $1,392,795—a record-breaking level—awarded to 62 researchers. These scholars are studying the various channels through which…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Income support programs boost earnings for low-wage workers by reducing household poverty in the United States (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 26, 2021
The U.S. government expanded Unemployment Insurance and support for families with children amid the coronavirus pandemic to a degree unprecedented in recent history. Preliminary estimates of these expansions show their…
By: Michael A. Schultz (opens in a new tab)
Coronavirus disruptions in family caregiving highlight the importance of investments in U.S. care infrastructure and paid leave (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 24, 2021
Most workers in the United States at some point over the course of their lives will take on multiple unpaid caregiving responsibilities, be it caring for a child, an elderly…
By: Yulya Truskinovsky (opens in a new tab)
American Sociological Association 2021 conference centered on inequality and structural racism in the U.S. economy and society (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 19, 2021
The American Sociological Association last week held its annual meeting, virtually gathering scholars with the goal of making sociology “relevant to positive social transformation.” Over 5 days, attendees met and…
By: Aixa Alemán-Díaz (opens in a new tab)
Congress needs distribution analyses to make informed, equitable policy choices, and the CBO FAIR Scoring Act would deliver it (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 11, 2021
Before voting on legislation, members of Congress usually receive a cost estimate, or score, for that legislation from the Congressional Budget Office. This score provides nonpartisan CBO analysts’ best estimate…
By: Corey Husak (opens in a new tab)
Myths about competition in the global economy harm humanity and our planet (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 11, 2021
Competition around the globe is facing a crisis today. Mega corporations benefit from neoliberal ideologies and lax enforcement of the antitrust laws. Growing market power among fewer and fewer firms…
By: Raksha Kopparam (opens in a new tab)
JOLTS Day Graphs: June 2021 Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 9, 2021
Every month the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases data on hiring, firing, and other labor market flows from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, better known as JOLTS.…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
July Jobs report: Job growth ramps up, but the construction sector struggles (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 6, 2021
The recovery in the labor market continued to pick-up steam as the U.S. economy added 943,000 jobs last month, according to the most recent Employment Situation Summary released today by…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: July 2021 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 6, 2021
On August 6, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data on the U.S. labor market during the month of July. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
NBER Summer Institute 2021 Round-up: Week 3 (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 2, 2021
On July 12, the National Bureau of Economic Research kicked off its summer institute, an annual 3-week conference featuring discussions and paper presentations on specific subfields of economics, including measuring…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
What recent data-driven research can tell policymakers about Black Women’s Equal Pay Day (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 2, 2021
Tomorrow is Black Women’s Equal Pay Day. This day recognizes that Black women in the United States have to work from the start of January 2020 through August 2, 2021…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Competitive Edge: Congress needs to restore the Federal Trade Commission’s authority to seek monetary remedies when companies break the law (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 28, 2021
Antitrust and competition issues are receiving renewed interest, and for good reason. So far, the discussion has occurred at a high level of generality. To address important specific antitrust enforcement…
By: Michael Kades (opens in a new tab)
NBER Summer Institute 2021 Round-up: Week 2 (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 26, 2021
On July 12, the National Bureau of Economic Research kicked off its summer institute, an annual 3-week conference featuring discussions and paper presentations on specific subfields of economics, including wealth…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
NBER Summer Institute 2021 Round-up: Week 1 (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 19, 2021
On July 12, the National Bureau of Economic Research kicked off its summer institute, an annual 3-week conference featuring discussions and paper presentations on specific subfields of economics, including inequality…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Excessive heat harms U.S. workers unequally as the safety risks from climate change soar (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 19, 2021
This summer’s West Coast heat waves come as no surprise. But headlines about the various negative effects of excessive heat, including fatal wildfires, often overlook the plight of everyday workers.…
By: Michael Garvey (opens in a new tab)
Climate change among many issues discussed at annual Western Economic Association International conference (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 15, 2021
The Western Economic Association International at the end of June held its 96th annual conference, bringing audiences together for more than 280 concurrent sessions to collaborate, share, and learn from…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Kate Bahn testimony before the Joint Economic Committee on monopsony, workers, and corporate power (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 14, 2021
Thank you Chair Beyer, Ranking Member Lee, and members of the Joint Economic Committee for inviting me to testify today. My name is Kate Bahn and I am the Director…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab)
A Canary in the Coal Mine for the Failure of U.S. Competition Law: Competition Problems in Prescription Drug Market (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 13, 2021
Michael KadesDirector, Markets and Competition Policy, Washington Center for Equitable GrowthSubcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights:Prescription for Change: Cracking Down on Anticompetitive Conduct in Prescription Drug Markets July…
By: Michael Kades (opens in a new tab)
Fiscal austerity intensifies the increase in inequality after pandemics (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 13, 2021
(This column is reprinted with the permission of the authors. It was first published by voxeu.org on June 3, 2021) In the aftermath of past pandemics, fiscal policy played an…
By: Davide Furceri (opens in a new tab), Prakash Loungani (opens in a new tab), Jonathan Ostry (opens in a new tab), Pietro Pizzuto (opens in a new tab)
Average inflation targeting by the Federal Reserve and U.S. consumer expectations (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 13, 2021
In August 2020, the Federal Open Market Committee published an amended version of its “Statement on Longer-Run Goals and Monetary Policy Strategy.” In this revised statement, the FOMC reaffirmed its…
By: Carola Binder (opens in a new tab)
A note from incoming Equitable Growth President and CEO Michelle Holder (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 13, 2021
I’ve admired the Washington Center for Equitable Growth since its inception in 2013, so I am thrilled to become its next leader. Equitable Growth’s mission—to accelerate research on how inequality…
By: Michelle Holder (opens in a new tab)
A temporary increase in inflation is not a long-run threat to U.S. economic growth and prosperity (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 9, 2021
After a decade of below-target rates of inflation and the widespread fear of a Japanese-style prolonged economic stagnation with low inflation and zero growth, the incipient economic recovery in the…
By: Francesco D’Acunto (opens in a new tab), Michael Weber (opens in a new tab)
Evidence from the 2020 election shows how to close the income voting divide (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 8, 2021
The 2020 election year was unprecedented in many ways. The coronavirus pandemic changed most Americans’ relationships and interactions with society and the economy, including their civic participation in the 2020…
By: Austin Clemens (opens in a new tab), Shanteal Lake (opens in a new tab), David S. Mitchell (opens in a new tab)
JOLTS Day Graphs: May 2021 Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 7, 2021
Every month the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases data on hiring, firing, and other labor market flows from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, better known as JOLTS.…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab), Austin Clemens (opens in a new tab)
June jobs report: What the coronavirus recession means for foreign-born workers in the United States (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 2, 2021
June was a month of strong employment gains. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest Employment Situation Summary, the economy added 850,000 jobs between mid-May and mid-June, well…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: June 2021 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 2, 2021
On July 2, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data on the U.S. labor market during the month of June. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab), Austin Clemens (opens in a new tab)
The effects of the filibuster on U.S. economic policymaking and income and wealth inequality (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUN 28, 2021
Debate about reforming or eliminating the filibuster—the U.S. Senate rule that effectively requires 60 votes to pass most legislation—focuses mostly on voting rights and protecting democracy. But the filibuster, by…
By: Nathan J. Kelly (opens in a new tab)
New research shows slavery’s central role in U.S. economic growth leading up to the Civil War (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUN 24, 2021
This column is based on a working paper that is now undergoing revisions by the author, with the intention of reposting the updated version of the working paper and a…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab)
A new report lays out the path forward for faltering U.S. Unemployment Insurance system (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUN 24, 2021
Today, experts from seven organizations released a fortuitously timed report charting a path forward for the U.S. Unemployment Insurance program. Unemployment Insurance is the main social insurance program designed to…
By: Alix Gould-Werth (opens in a new tab)
How federal place-conscious policies can work to reduce regional inequality in the United States (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUN 23, 2021
Over the past four decades, geographic inequality between regions of the United States has grown dramatically. A handful of metropolitan areas, largely along the coasts, have become some of the…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
New U.S. antitrust legislation before Congress must mandate an anticompetitive presumption for acquisitions of nascent potential competitors by dominant firms (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUN 22, 2021
Antitrust and competition issues are receiving renewed interest, and for good reason. So far, the discussion has occurred at a high level of generality. To address important specific antitrust enforcement…
By: Steven C. Salop (opens in a new tab)
Father’s Day highlights why paid paternity leave should be part of all U.S. parental leave policies (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUN 17, 2021
This Sunday is Father’s Day, a holiday in which we celebrate and acknowledge our relationships with fathers, grandfathers, father figures, and others in our lives who helped raise us. For…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Race and the use of force by police matters to build a more equitable U.S. society and economy (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUN 15, 2021
There are widespread concerns in the United States about the treatment of Black Americans by state and local police forces across the country. These concerns are rooted in the long…
By: CarlyWill Sloan (opens in a new tab)
The future of work and worker power post-COVID a key topic at the 2021 Labor and Employment Relations Association annual conference (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUN 14, 2021
Last week, the Labor and Employment Relations Association, or LERA, held its 73rd annual conference. The virtual event, which took place over four days, featured more than 350 presenters from…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
The imperative of focusing on racial equity in U.S. economic statistics (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUN 11, 2021
The coronavirus pandemic and resulting sharp recession put a glaring spotlight on the importance of data disaggregation. During the early stages of the pandemic, most states were not reporting coronavirus…
By: Shaun Harrison (opens in a new tab)
Sustained U.S. economic recovery depends on major equitable economic investments (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUN 11, 2021
When President Joe Biden made the case before a joint session of Congress in the spring for two new economic investment packages—a $2 trillion American Jobs Plan and a $1.8…
By: Michael Garvey (opens in a new tab)
JOLTS Day Graphs: April 2021 Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUN 8, 2021
Every month the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases data on hiring, firing, and other labor market flows from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, better known as JOLTS.…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
U.S. jobs report: Amid robust employment gains in May policymakers need to consider the future direction of demand-driven employment growth across industries (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUN 4, 2021
The recovery in U.S. employment picked up some steam last month. According to the latest Employment Situation Summary by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. economy in May…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: May 2021 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUN 4, 2021
On June 4, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data on the U.S. labor market during the month of May. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
COVID-19 lockdown policy in the United States: Past, present, and future trends (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 27, 2021
The onset of the coronavirus pandemic and the rising death toll from COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, initiated an unprecedented decline in consumer spending in the United States,…
By: Jacob Robbins (opens in a new tab)
The CREATES Act shows legislation can stop anticompetitive pharmaceutical industry practices (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 27, 2021
In December 2019, Congress passed the Creating and Restoring Equal Access to Equivalent Samples, or CREATES, Act, bipartisan legislation to stop anticompetitive strategies that delay competition in pharmaceutical markets and…
By: Michael Kades (opens in a new tab)
The American anti-austerity tradition (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 20, 2021
The financialization of the U.S. economy has directed U.S. savings into more and more unproductive speculative investments. Consumption has become increasingly buoyed by unsustainable “indebted demand.” And the threat of…
By: Robert Manduca (opens in a new tab)
Statement for the Record by Michael Kades for the House Committee on Oversight and Reform (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 18, 2021
Michael KadesDirector, Markets and Competition PolicyWashington Center for Equitable GrowthStatement for the RecordHouse Committee on Oversight and Reform“Unsustainable Drug Prices (Part III): Testimony from AbbVie CEO” May 18, 2021 This…
By: Michael Kades (opens in a new tab)
JOLTS Day Graphs: March 2021 Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 11, 2021
Every month the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases data on hiring, firing, and other labor market flows from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, better known as JOLTS.…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
April Jobs report: Disappointing job gains mean the damage from the coronavirus recession may be long term, especially for young workers (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 7, 2021
The U.S. labor market delivered employment gains that were far below expectations last month. According to the Employment Situation Summary released this morning by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, between…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: April 2021 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 7, 2021
On May 7, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data on the U.S. labor market during the month of April. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
The Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act is a down payment on the future of antitrust enforcement (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 6, 2021
The Senate Judiciary Committee is likely to approve a bipartisan antitrust bill soon that will be a down payment on reviving effective antitrust enforcement in the United States. The Merger…
By: Michael Kades (opens in a new tab)
The evidence behind Biden’s big plans for rebuilding infrastructure, reducing poverty, and combating inequality (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 29, 2021
During his first 100 days in office, President Joe Biden turned core elements of his Build Back Better campaign plan into concrete policy proposals for congressional consideration. Dubbed the American…
By: David S. Mitchell (opens in a new tab)
The American Dream is less of a reality today in the United States, compared to other peer nations (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 28, 2021
The hope that children will grow up to have higher standards of living than their parents is widespread around the world. In the United States, this concept is considered by…
By: Robert Manduca (opens in a new tab)
Overheating is not a concern for the U.S. economy (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 26, 2021
Critics of President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan and further public investments financed through a combination of tax increases and deficit spending—such as his administration’s proposed American Jobs…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
How inequities in U.S. taxation can perpetuate systemic racism (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 20, 2021
The history of discriminatory taxation in the United States is long and storied. Writing on county governments in his in 1901 study, “The Negro Landholder of Georgia,” scholar W.E.B. Du…
By: Shaun Harrison (opens in a new tab)
Policy workshop addressed promises and challenges of using carbon pricing to combat climate change (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 15, 2021
Climate change might be the world’s most complex public policy problem. It is more global, more long-term, more irreversible, and more uncertain than most other policy challenges and probably unique…
By: Gernot Wagner (opens in a new tab)
Roads, bridges, bottles, and blocks: Rethinking infrastructure for the post-pandemic U.S. economy (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 12, 2021
When the COVID-19 pandemic eventually wanes and economic conditions improve, many Americans will be able to safely resume familiar activities that have been curtailed amid the health and economic crises.…
By: Sam Abbott (opens in a new tab)
Uncertainty about the size of annual tax refunds hinders the effectiveness of tax-based U.S. redistribution (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 8, 2021
Each tax season, many families in the United States receive additional income through refundable tax credits, among them the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit. These two tax…
By: Sydnee Caldwell (opens in a new tab), Scott Nelson (opens in a new tab), Daniel Waldinger (opens in a new tab)
JOLTS Day Graphs: February 2021 Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 6, 2021
Every month the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases data on hiring, firing, and other labor market flows from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, better known as JOLTS.…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
The latest Jobs Day report is encouraging yet the number of U.S. workers jobless for 27 weeks or more keeps climbing (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 2, 2021
According to the latest Employment Situation Summary by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. economy added 916,000 jobs in March, the biggest month-to-month jump since August of last…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: March 2021 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 2, 2021
On April 2, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data on the U.S. labor market during the month of March. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
What the U.S. Census Household Pulse Survey reveals about the first year of the coronavirus recession, in six charts (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 1, 2021
The U.S. Census Bureau’s new Household Pulse Survey is an invaluable and near real-time source of information for understanding how the coronavirus recession is affecting U.S. workers, families, and communities.…
By: Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab), Raksha Kopparam (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth network helps Biden-Harris administration implement evidence-backed economic policy (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 30, 2021
The Washington Center for Equitable Growth was founded in 2013 to promote the use of research in policy and decision-making. Our strategy—to ensure that lawmakers and advocates are armed with…
By: David S. Mitchell (opens in a new tab)
The child allowance will pay dividends for the entire U.S. economy far into the future (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 24, 2021
One feature of the newly enacted American Rescue Plan that got less attention in the lead up to its passage than the more headline-grabbing $1,400 economic impact payments are the…
By: Liz Hipple (opens in a new tab)
Tax evasion at the top of the U.S. income distribution and how to fight it (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 22, 2021
How much taxes do high-income Americans evade? And what kinds of evasion tactics do they use? These questions are important for tax enforcement policies and the measurement of income inequality…
By: Daniel Reck (opens in a new tab), Max Risch (opens in a new tab), Gabriel Zucman (opens in a new tab)
Moving with two careers is hard, but Unemployment Insurance for trailing spouses can help (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 16, 2021
Where one works is tied to where one lives, and for many job searchers, changing jobs also means having to move. These joint job-location decisions are one way that a…
By: Joanna Venator (opens in a new tab)
Women’s History Month: Systemic gender discrimination continues to harm working women amid the coronavirus recession (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 12, 2021
Women’s History Month is observed every March to celebrate the contributions of women politically, economically, and culturally throughout the history of the United States. It is an important month for…
By: Delaney Crampton (opens in a new tab)
JOLTS Day Graphs: January 2021 Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 11, 2021
Every month the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases data on hiring, firing, and other labor market flows from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, better known as JOLTS.…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
New evidence on the success of gig-worker pay standards for ride-hail drivers (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 10, 2021
The misclassification of work performed by ride-hailing drivers is rampant in the online platform-based gig economy. Companies such as Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft Inc. claim their drivers are independent…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab)
The alignment of earnings in occupations and at U.S. workplaces increasingly exacerbates earnings inequality (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 9, 2021
A few common explanations dominate the discussion of rising earnings inequality in the United States. Automation and computerization, for example, have augmented many nonroutine white-collar jobs—meaning those jobs can pay…
By: Nathan Wilmers (opens in a new tab), Clem Aeppli (opens in a new tab)
Four ways to understand the pay divide facing Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander women (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 8, 2021
Tomorrow is Asian American and Pacific Islander Women’s Equal Pay Day.176 The day marks the point in 2021 until which, on average, Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander women…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Jobs report: a year into the coronavirus recession, employment losses have been greatest for Black women workers and Latinx workers (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 5, 2021
One year after the onset of the coronavirus recession, the U.S. labor market is still a long way from its February 2020 employment levels, but saw important job gains last…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: February 2021 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 5, 2021
On March 5th, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data on the U.S. labor market during the month of February. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab), Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab)
Executive action to-do list for achieving strong, stable, and broad-based U.S. economic growth (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 4, 2021
When the Biden administration was handed the keys to the White House in January, it also was handed a number of broad executive powers that could, at the stroke of…
By: David S. Mitchell (opens in a new tab)
Executive actions to improve U.S. economic measurements (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 3, 2021
Relevant federal offices and agencies White House Office of Management and Budget Interagency Working Group on Equitable Data Bureau of Economic Analysis, Department of Commerce Office of Tax Policy, Department…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Research on race and consumption shows why racial disparities in Unemployment Insurance receipt are detrimental to economic recovery in the United States (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 1, 2021
It’s well-established that Black and Latinx workers who lose their jobs are less likely to access Unemployment Insurance benefits than their White peers. And it’s clear this disparity means hardship…
By: Alix Gould-Werth (opens in a new tab)
Honoring Black History Month: How the history of violence and systemic racism continue to impact economic outcomes for African Americans (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 25, 2021
Dominance and violence rooted in institutionalized racism, systemic oppression, and colonization are often to blame for the inequality that many African Americans endure today. This year’s celebration of Black History…
By: Liz Hipple (opens in a new tab), Shanteal Lake (opens in a new tab)
Executive actions to combat wage theft against U.S. workers (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 24, 2021
Relevant federal offices and agencies: Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor Relevant laws: The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. § 203) Wage theft…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Executive actions to reform the cost-benefit analysis of U.S. tax regulations (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 24, 2021
Relevant federal offices and agencies: Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs U.S. Department of the Treasury Relevant laws and guidance: Executive Order 12866 Memorandum of Agreement, Review of Tax Regulations…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Executive actions to coordinate antitrust and competition policies across the federal government (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 19, 2021
Relevant federal offices and agencies: National Economic Council Council of Economic Advisers Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, or OIRA Office of Management and Budget Domestic Policy Council The U.S.…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Competitive Edge: Big Ag’s monopsony problem: How market dominance harms U.S. workers and consumers (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 18, 2021
Antitrust and competition issues are receiving renewed interest, and for good reason. So far, the discussion has occurred at a high level of generality. To address important specific antitrust enforcement…
By: Nathan Miller (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth event will explore the impact of technology in the workplace and potential for advancing worker power (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 18, 2021
It is not new that ideas about the role of technology in the future of work have been dominated by fears of robots taking over most of our jobs. As…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab)
Executive actions to coordinate federal countercyclical regulatory policy (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 17, 2021
This factsheet has been adapted from Yair Listokin’s Vision 2020 essay and his 2019 book, Law and Macroeconomics: Legal Remedies to Recessions. Overview Traditional macroeconomic tools—fiscal policy from the U.S.…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
How to replace COVID relief deadlines with automatic ‘triggers’ that meet the needs of the U.S. economy (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 11, 2021
To strengthen the federal government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting economic downturn, President Joe Biden seeks to enact his American Rescue Plan to stop the spread of…
By: David S. Mitchell (opens in a new tab), Corey Husak (opens in a new tab)
New research shows that reductions in air pollution have intergenerational consequences (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 11, 2021
When the National Ambient Air Quality Standards were introduced in the United States 50 years ago as part of the 1970 Clean Air Act amendments, concerns about air pollution were…
By: Jonathan Colmer (opens in a new tab), John Voorheis (opens in a new tab)
JOLTS Day Graphs: December 2020 Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 9, 2021
Every month the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases data on hiring, firing, and other labor market flows from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, better known as JOLTS.…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Jobs report: Coronavirus recession hits workers in low-wage service industries who need access to the social safety net and effective labor protection enforcement (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 5, 2021
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics just released its Employment Situation Summary for the month of January, showing that the labor market’s path toward a recovery lost steam over the…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: January 2021 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 5, 2021
On February 5th, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data on the U.S. labor market during the month of January. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
The wage divide for Black and Latinx workers goes deeper than a ‘skills gap’ or requiring more credentials (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 4, 2021
The coronavirus recession continues to severely impact Black and Latinx workers, who are disproportionally suffering, compared to other workers in the United States. These more marginalized workers are registering higher…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab)
How combating voter suppression can help close the economic divides between Black and White Americans and spur U.S. economic growth (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 3, 2021
Economic analysis that does not account for political power—who has it and how it is wielded—will inevitably fail to fully capture what keeps the United States from achieving equitable economic…
By: David S. Mitchell (opens in a new tab), Austin Clemens (opens in a new tab), Shanteal Lake (opens in a new tab)
Competitive Edge: Why noncompete clauses in employment contracts are by and large harmful to U.S. workers and the U.S. economy (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 28, 2021
Antitrust and competition issues are receiving renewed interest, and for good reason. So far, the discussion has occurred at a high level of generality. To address important specific antitrust enforcement…
By: David Balan (opens in a new tab)
Understanding the macroeconomic consequences of rising income and wealth inequality in the United States (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 15, 2021
One of the big questions in economics today is to understand how rising inequality matters for the U.S. economy as a whole. There has been a sharp increase in income…
By: Atif Mian (opens in a new tab)
New Equitable Growth book presents broad structural changes to boost U.S. wages for more equitable and sustainable economic growth (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 14, 2021
The Washington Center for Equitable Growth today publishes its latest book, Boosting Wages for U.S. Workers in the New Economy, in conjunction with a virtual launch event virtual today on…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab)
Foreword: Boosting Wages for U.S. Workers in the New Economy (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 14, 2021
The anemic wage growth that has characterized the U.S. economy for decades has deep structural causes that defy easy solutions. For decades, the benefits of economic growth have gravitated toward…
By: Jean Ross (opens in a new tab)
Broad structural change is needed to boost wages in a U.S. economy that is more equitable to produce strong, sustainable economic growth (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 14, 2021
The U.S. labor market is shackled by decades of wage stagnation for the majority of workers, persistent wage disparities by race, ethnicity, and gender, and sluggish economic growth. The steady…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Jesse Rothstein (opens in a new tab)
Strategic enforcement and co-enforcement of U.S. labor standards are needed to protect workers through the coronavirus recession (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 14, 2021
This essay is part of Boosting Wages for U.S. Workers in the New Economy, a compilation of 10 essays from leading economic thinkers who explore alternative policies for boosting wages…
By: Janice Fine (opens in a new tab), Daniel Galvin (opens in a new tab), Jenn Round (opens in a new tab), Hana Shepherd (opens in a new tab)
Transforming U.S. supply chains to create good jobs (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 14, 2021
This essay is part of Boosting Wages for U.S. Workers in the New Economy, a compilation of 10 essays from leading economic thinkers who explore alternative policies for boosting wages…
By: Susan Helper (opens in a new tab)
Boosting wages when U.S. labor markets are not competitive (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 14, 2021
This essay is part of Boosting Wages for U.S. Workers in the New Economy, a compilation of 10 essays from leading economic thinkers who explore alternative policies for boosting wages…
By: Ioana Marinescu (opens in a new tab)
Collective bargaining as a path to more equitable wage growth in the United States (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 14, 2021
This essay is part of Boosting Wages for U.S. Workers in the New Economy, a compilation of 10 essays from leading economic thinkers who explore alternative policies for boosting wages…
By: Benjamin Schoefer (opens in a new tab)
U.S. labor markets require a new approach to higher education (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 14, 2021
This essay is part of Boosting Wages for U.S. Workers in the New Economy, a compilation of 10 essays from leading economic thinkers who explore alternative policies for boosting wages…
By: Andria Smythe (opens in a new tab)
Public investments in social insurance, education, and child care can overcome market failures to promote family and economic well-being (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 14, 2021
This essay is part of Boosting Wages for U.S. Workers in the New Economy, a compilation of 10 essays from leading economic thinkers who explore alternative policies for boosting wages…
By: Sandra Black (opens in a new tab), Jesse Rothstein (opens in a new tab)
Targeting business tax incentives to realize U.S. wage growth (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 14, 2021
This essay is part of Boosting Wages for U.S. Workers in the New Economy, a compilation of 10 essays from leading economic thinkers who explore alternative policies for boosting wages…
By: Juan Carlos Suarez Serrato (opens in a new tab)
Addressing gender and racial disparities in the U.S. labor market to boost wages and power innovation (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 14, 2021
This essay is part of Boosting Wages for U.S. Workers in the New Economy, a compilation of 10 essays from leading economic thinkers who explore alternative policies for boosting wages…
By: Lisa Cook (opens in a new tab)
Place-conscious federal policies to reduce regional economic disparities in the United States (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 14, 2021
This essay is part of Boosting Wages for U.S. Workers in the New Economy, a compilation of 10 essays from leading economic thinkers who explore alternative policies for boosting wages…
By: Robert Manduca (opens in a new tab)
Sovereignty and improved economic outcomes for American Indians: Building on the gains made since 1990 (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 14, 2021
This essay is part of Boosting Wages for U.S. Workers in the New Economy, a compilation of 10 essays from leading economic thinkers who explore alternative policies for boosting wages…
By: Randall Akee (opens in a new tab)
U.S. retail sector’s recession experiences highlight continuing labor market travails (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 13, 2021
The coronavirus pandemic and the ensuing economic recession has changed the structure of the U.S. labor market. Public health measures require limiting in-person services, and as a result, many industries…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Studying the impact of the U.S. safety net is vital to boosting human capital and improving worker well-being (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 13, 2021
It’s no secret that the social safety net in the United States plays an important role in helping vulnerable American families through times of crisis. Recent studies only reinforce this…
By: Hilary Hoynes (opens in a new tab)
JOLTS Day Graphs: November 2020 Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 12, 2021
Every month the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases data on hiring, firing, and other labor market flows from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, better known as JOLTS.…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: December 2020 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 8, 2021
On January 8th, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data on the U.S. labor market during the month of December. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth invests in research grants to explore the role of paid sick leave and paid family and medical leave amid the coronavirus recession (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 4, 2021
The Washington Center for Equitable Growth is announcing a trio of research grants to scholars exploring the impact of paid family and medical leave and paid sick leave policies amid…
By: Sam Abbott (opens in a new tab), Alix Gould-Werth (opens in a new tab)
New research shows the impact of 2020 job and income losses on family dynamics and parents’ mental health in vulnerable households (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 14, 2020
As job losses in the United States persist amid the coronavirus recession, the economic and mental health fallout becomes ever clearer. Historically, research on the effects of job losses and…
By: Ariel Kalil (opens in a new tab)
JOLTS Day Graphs: October 2020 Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 9, 2020
Every month the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases data on hiring, firing, and other labor market flows from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, better known as JOLTS.…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
The coronavirus recession continues to threaten low-wage U.S. workers due to stalled jobs recovery (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 4, 2020
Today’s U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Jobs Report demonstrates a stalled jobs recovery following the deep and rapid economic decline brought about by the coronavirus pandemic. The unemployment rate has…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: November 2020 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 4, 2020
On December 4, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data on the U.S. labor market during the month of November. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
In the United States, it’s not what you know but who your parents know (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 4, 2020
In the United States, an individual’s income tends to be closely related to their parents’ income. This fact—that children born into poverty in this country are likely to remain in…
By: Matthew Staiger (opens in a new tab)
The long-run implications of extending unemployment benefits in the United States for workers, firms, and the economy (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 3, 2020
At the outset of the coronavirus pandemic earlier this year, millions of U.S. workers lost their jobs. In March, the U.S. Congress took notice and decided that the 26 weeks…
By: Alix Gould-Werth (opens in a new tab)
Filling critical gaps in child care research to support effective and equitable reforms to help U.S. families and workers alike (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 2, 2020
The child care industry in the United States is facing a crisis on two fronts. In the short term, the coronavirus pandemic and the recession it caused leaves child care…
By: Sam Abbott (opens in a new tab)
JOLTS Day Graphs: September 2020 Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog NOV 10, 2020
Every month the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases data on hiring, firing, and other labor market flows from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, better known as JOLTS.…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: October 2020 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog NOV 6, 2020
On November 6, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data on the U.S. labor market during the month of October. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Household Pulse graphs: October 14 – 26 (opens in a new tab)
Blog NOV 5, 2020
On November 3, the U.S. Census Bureau released new data on the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on workers and households. Below are four graphs compiled by Equitable Growth staff…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Raksha Kopparam (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab), Austin Clemens (opens in a new tab)
Lisa Cook, Hilary Hoynes, and Atif Mian join Equitable Growth Steering Committee (opens in a new tab)
Blog OCT 28, 2020
The Washington Center for Equitable Growth announced today that three distinguished economists—Lisa D. Cook of Michigan State University, Hilary Hoynes of the University of California, Berkeley, and Atif Mian of…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s labor market experts deliver comment letter to U.S. Department of Labor on status of independent contractors (opens in a new tab)
Blog OCT 27, 2020
The Washington Center for Equitable Growth this week delivered a comment letter to Amy DeBisschop, director of the Division of Regulations, Legislation and Interpretation at the Wage and Hour Division…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Corey Husak (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Amanda Fischer joins others in comment letter to antitrust regulator on harmful U.S. banking consolidation (opens in a new tab)
Blog OCT 27, 2020
A safe and strong banking sector is more important than ever as the coronavirus recession continues to strain individuals and families in the United States. In response to the U.S.…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Household Pulse graphs: September 30–October 12 (opens in a new tab)
Blog OCT 21, 2020
On October 21, the U.S. Census Bureau released new data on the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on workers and households. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth staff…
By: Austin Clemens (opens in a new tab), Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Raksha Kopparam (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Labor in the Boardroom: A Model for the United States? (opens in a new tab)
Blog OCT 20, 2020
Under U.S. law, corporate boards of directors represent the interests of companies’ shareholders. This is reflected in the typical composition of boards, composed almost entirely of people from the business…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Household Pulse graphs: September 16–28 Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog OCT 7, 2020
On October 7, the U.S. Census Bureau released new data on the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on workers and households. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth staff…
By: Austin Clemens (opens in a new tab), Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Raksha Kopparam (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
JOLTS Day Graphs: August 2020 Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog OCT 6, 2020
Every month the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases data on hiring, firing, and other labor market flows from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, better known as JOLTS.…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
What the coronavirus recession means for U.S. public-sector employment (opens in a new tab)
Blog OCT 2, 2020
According to the latest Employment Situation report released by Bureau of Labor Statistics today, the U.S. economy in September added 661,000 nonfarm payroll jobs, reflecting an important slowdown in employment…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: September 2020 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog OCT 2, 2020
On October 2nd, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data on the U.S. labor market during the month of September. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Testimony by Michael Kades before the Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial, and Administrative Law on digital markets (opens in a new tab)
Blog OCT 1, 2020
Michael KadesDirector, Markets and Competition PolicyWashington Center for Equitable Growth“Proposals to Strengthen the Antitrust Laws and Restore Competition Online”Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial, and Administrative Law October 1, 2020 Thank you…
By: Michael Kades (opens in a new tab)
Why cost-benefit analysis of tax regulations has failed, and how to fix it (opens in a new tab)
Blog SEP 30, 2020
When President Donald Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act into law in December 2017, he kicked off an incredible period of regulatory activity at the U.S. Department of…
By: Greg Leiserson (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s household pulse graphs: September 2–14 edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog SEP 24, 2020
On September 23, the U.S. Census Bureau released new data on the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on workers and households. Below are four graphs compiled by Equitable Growth staff…
By: Austin Clemens (opens in a new tab), Raksha Kopparam (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Competitive Edge: Remedying monopoly violation by social networks—the role of interoperability and rulemaking (opens in a new tab)
Blog SEP 23, 2020
Antitrust and competition issues are receiving renewed interest, and for good reason. So far, the discussion has occurred at a high level of generality. To address important specific antitrust enforcement…
By: Michael Kades (opens in a new tab), Fiona M. Scott Morton (opens in a new tab)
The hidden costs of stock-market-first U.S. economic policies (opens in a new tab)
Blog SEP 22, 2020
The idea that sound U.S. economic policy begins and ends with a strong stock market is becoming pervasive. Advocates of what I call the stock-market-first approach want you to focus…
By: John Sabelhaus (opens in a new tab)
JOLTS Day Graphs: July 2020 Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog SEP 9, 2020
Every month the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases data on hiring, firing, and other labor market flows from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, better known as JOLTS.…
By: Raksha Kopparam (opens in a new tab), Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: August 2020 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog SEP 4, 2020
On September 4th, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data on the U.S. labor market during the month of August. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth…
By: Kathryn Zickuhr (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
What is Gross Domestic Product, and what does it measure? (opens in a new tab)
Blog SEP 2, 2020
Gross Domestic Product growth may once have indicated good fortune for the vast majority of Americans, but over the past several decades, many Americans were left increasingly behind. This reality…
By: Austin Clemens (opens in a new tab)
Get more money immediately to U.S. families and help them out of the coronavirus recession (opens in a new tab)
Blog SEP 1, 2020
The costs of the deepening coronavirus recession and the benefits of the federal government providing another round of direct economic aid to families are clear. Let’s begin with the mounting…
By: Michael Garvey (opens in a new tab), Claudia Sahm (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth announces record $1.07 million in research grants on inequality and broadly shared growth (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 31, 2020
The Washington Center for Equitable Growth today announced research grants totaling $1,074,060—our largest year to date—to seek evidence on important issues related to the intersections between economic inequality and growth.…
By: Korin Davis (opens in a new tab)
Revamping U.S. small business rescue programs amid the coronavirus recession (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 27, 2020
The coronavirus economic rescue programs enacted by Congress this past spring failed to prevent layoffs and firm bankruptcies among the smallest employers in the United States. Existing resources, such as…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Combating the market power of U.S. corporations over workers and consumers (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 26, 2020
Recent economic research establishes that the United States suffers from a growing market power problem. Market power, often referred to as monopoly power, means consumers pay more for the goods…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
The curious case of the federal prosecutor who sided with defendants (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 25, 2020
Antitrust policy has been front and center in U.S. public policy debates over the past few years. The House Judiciary Committee recently completed its investigation into digital markets. Senate Democrats…
By: Michael Kades (opens in a new tab)
Achieving universal paid family and medical leave in the United States (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 24, 2020
The coronavirus pandemic and the recession it caused lay bare a familiar challenge for U.S. workers—balancing family and job responsibilities without access to paid family and medical leave. When a…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Addressing the U.S. racial economic mobility and inequality divides (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 18, 2020
Economic mobility in the United States has been declining over the past half-century at the same time that economic inequality has been rising. Research by Harvard University economist and former…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Reforming Unemployment Insurance across the United States (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 17, 2020
Longstanding problems with the Unemployment Insurance system in the United States are immediately evident amid the coronavirus recession and echo the problems experienced during the Great Recession more than a…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Five ways to understand Black Women’s Equal Pay Day (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 13, 2020
Today is Black Women’s Equal Pay Day. This is the day until when Black women have to work, from the start of 2019 through August 2020, to earn as much…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Most recent JOLTS release provides latest data on how the coronavirus recession is different from the Great Recession (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 10, 2020
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics today released its monthly Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey for the month of June. Also known as JOLTS, the survey collects data on…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Hearing with tech CEOs sets stage for new legislation to tackle anticompetitive conduct by dominant firms in the U.S. economy (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 10, 2020
The CEOs of Apple Inc., Amazon.com Inc., Facebook Inc., and Alphabet Inc.’s Google unit testified in late July before the House Judiciary Committee’s Antitrust, Commercial, and Administrative Law Subcommittee. None…
By: Michael Kades (opens in a new tab)
July jobs report: Coronavirus recession continues to hit Latinx workers in service jobs amid unprecedented U.S. labor market volatility (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 7, 2020
With novel coronavirus infections still rising in many states, an ongoing squeeze on already hard-hit workers and businesses, and uncertainty about the federal government’s next economic relief package, July’s Employment…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: July 2020 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 7, 2020
On August 7th, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data on the U.S. labor market during the month of July. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Gaps in U.S. rural and urban economic growth widened in the post-Great Recession economy, with implications amid the coronavirus recession (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 6, 2020
Prior to the current coronavirus recession, most U.S. economic metrics pointed to a slow but steady nationwide recovery amid an 11-year post-Great Recession run of economic growth. But prosperity was…
By: Raksha Kopparam (opens in a new tab)
Twenty-one policy resources to combat the coronavirus recession (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 5, 2020
Policymakers learned late last week that the U.S. economy registered a stunning 9.4 percent contraction in the second quarter of this year, a drop not experienced since the Great Depression…
By: David S. Mitchell (opens in a new tab)
Testimony by Heather Boushey before the Joint Economic Committee on the Coronavirus Recession (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 30, 2020
Thank you, Vice Chair Beyer and Chairman Lee, for inviting me to speak today. It’s an honor to be here. My name is Heather Boushey, and I am president and…
By: Heather Boushey (opens in a new tab)
Congress must act to help U.S. families facing an income crisis (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 29, 2020
We now have 4.3 million confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in the United States. The virus moves fast, and policymakers in Washington move slow. Families across the country face…
By: Claudia Sahm (opens in a new tab)
Sleepwalking into depression: The economic response to COVID-19 in the United States (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 24, 2020
Almost five months into our country’s response to the coronavirus pandemic and ensuing recession, policymakers seem to have lost the urgency that characterized the initial days of dramatic, bipartisan action.…
By: Jacob Robbins (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth invests more than $250,000 to advance research on paid family and medical leave in the United States (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 22, 2020
The Washington Center for Equitable Growth today announced four research grants to scholars who are pushing the frontier of knowledge on paid family and medical leave in the United States.…
By: Alix Gould-Werth (opens in a new tab), Sam Abbott (opens in a new tab)
New research on the Great Recession shows extended unemployment benefits insignificantly affect U.S. unemployment rates (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 21, 2020
Unemployment rates in the United States are currently higher than they were at height of the Great Recession, standing at 11.1 percent in June after declining from a record high…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab)
Child care is essential for working parents, but is the industry ready and safe to reopen? (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 16, 2020
By now, it is no secret that parents across the United States are struggling. Adapting to life during the coronavirus pandemic has been difficult for nearly everyone, but parents—particularly those…
By: Sam Abbott (opens in a new tab)
How racial and gendered pay discrimination persists under monopsony in the United States (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 13, 2020
There are many obstacles in finding a job in the United States. Some of these obstacles are socially constructed, such as more household responsibilities shouldered by women compared to men.…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Mark Stelzner (opens in a new tab)
New research finds enhanced U.S. social insurance will be necessary until the coronavirus recession recedes (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 8, 2020
A new working paper released by Harvard University economist and former Equitable Growth Steering Committee member Raj Chetty and his Opportunity Insights colleagues finds that U.S. consumer spending fell dramatically…
By: Liz Hipple (opens in a new tab), Amanda Fischer (opens in a new tab)
Americans want green spending in federal coronavirus recession relief packages (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 7, 2020
Coronavirus recession relief packages now under discussion on Capitol Hill present an opportunity to power an economic rebound and address climate change at the same time. This approach would save…
By: Matto Mildenberger (opens in a new tab), Leah Stokes (opens in a new tab)
JOLTS Day Graphs: May 2020 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 7, 2020
Every month the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases data on hiring, firing, and other labor market flows from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, better known as JOLTS.…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
The United States needs a new Works Progress Administration to overcome the coronavirus recession (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 6, 2020
With the United States having just completed a long July 4 weekend while registering more than 2.4 million cases of the novel coronavirus prior to the holiday celebrations, health experts…
By: Delaney Crampton (opens in a new tab)
Latest jobs report for June reveals pre-existing inequality in U.S. labor market worsening amid coronavirus recession (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 2, 2020
The latest jobs numbers released by the federal government today indicate the brunt of the job losses due to the coronavirus recession continue to fall heaviest on Black and Latinx…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: June 2020 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 2, 2020
On July 2nd, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data on the U.S. labor market during the month of May. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Austin Clemens (opens in a new tab)
Four graphs on U.S. occupational segregation by race, ethnicity, and gender (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 1, 2020
Occupational segregation—the disproportionate representation of a group in any type of job—hurts workers and the entire U.S. economy by entrenching racial and gender wage gaps, depressing earnings, and limiting workers’…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
New analysis shows state paid leave programs cushioned the blow of COVID-19, sparking important new questions (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUN 25, 2020
New analysis shows that while Congress was busy debating the parameters of federal paid leave to families dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, state paid leave programs in Rhode Island and…
By: Sam Abbott (opens in a new tab)
The coronavirus recession is an opportunity to cancel all U.S. student loan debt (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUN 24, 2020
This past March, as a coronavirus relief measure, Congress suspended payments on a lion’s share of federally owned student loans for 6 months. When this temporary loan forbearance expires on…
By: Darrick Hamilton (opens in a new tab), Naomi Zewde (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth webinar will explore bold policies to ensure a broad-based economic recovery (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUN 23, 2020
The coronavirus pandemic and the ensuing economic recession have exposed and exacerbated many systemic inequalities in U.S. society, especially for Black and Latinx families. Even after a decade of growth…
By: David S. Mitchell (opens in a new tab)
Reconsidering progress this Juneteenth: Eight graphics that underscore the economic racial inequality Black Americans face in the United States (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUN 18, 2020
While Juneteenth marks a day of resilience, endurance, and emancipation for Black Americans, this year’s anniversary is also a harsh reminder of the delayed freedom granted in 1865. For many,…
By: Liz Hipple (opens in a new tab), Shanteal Lake (opens in a new tab), Maria Monroe (opens in a new tab)
Misvaluations in local property tax assessments cause the tax burden to fall more heavily on Black, Latinx homeowners (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUN 10, 2020
Authors’ note: We stand in solidarity with all who speak up, all who are hurting, and all who are combating racism and fighting to advance justice. Violence against Black bodies…
By: Carlos Fernando Avenancio-Leon (opens in a new tab), Troup Howard (opens in a new tab)
JOLTS Day Graphs: April 2020 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUN 9, 2020
Every month the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases data on hiring, firing, and other labor market flows from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, better known as JOLTS.…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Elevating economic research on racist violence and exclusion in the United States (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUN 5, 2020
On May 25, 2020, a police officer murdered George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This public killing was one of the most recent murders of Black people either by law enforcement…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
How the coronavirus recession is impacting part-time U.S. workers (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUN 5, 2020
The coronavirus recession continues to highlight and deepen the structural inequities that have long made the U.S. economy so fragile. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ monthly Employment Situation…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: May 2020 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUN 5, 2020
On June 5th, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data on the U.S. labor market during the month of May. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth names two new Dissertation Scholars (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 28, 2020
A critical part of our mission at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth is to build a pipeline of young scholars doing cutting-edge research on inequality and economic growth. Equitable…
By: Korin Davis (opens in a new tab)
Data will provide accountability to ensure the U.S. economic recovery is shared broadly (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 15, 2020
The U.S. economy is a long way from experiencing a recovery from the coronavirus recession. But the actions Congress takes now will determine just how deep the recession gets and…
By: Austin Clemens (opens in a new tab)
JOLTS Day Graphs: March 2020 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 15, 2020
Every month the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases data on hiring, firing, and other labor market flows from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, better known as JOLTS.…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
For an equitable recovery, federal relief to deal with the coronavirus recession must be transparent to the U.S. public (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 13, 2020
U.S. policymakers’ decisions are only as good as the data they have to inform them, and the public’s trust in institutions is only as good as the information available to…
By: Amanda Fischer (opens in a new tab)
New working paper shows long-term U.S. economic and health benefits of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 11, 2020
As job losses in the United States grow by the millions each week, the dramatic economic fallout from the coronavirus recession comes more and more into focus. Expansions to the…
By: Martha Bailey (opens in a new tab), Hilary Hoynes (opens in a new tab), Maya Rossin-Slater (opens in a new tab)
Coronavirus recession deepens U.S. job losses in April especially among low-wage workers and women (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 8, 2020
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ monthly Employment Situation Summary for April released today provides new data on the speed and magnitude with which the coronavirus recession is sending ripples…
By: Heather Boushey (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: April 2020 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 8, 2020
On May 8th, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data on the U.S. labor market during the month of April. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Global medical trade in the time of the coronavirus pandemic (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 6, 2020
The coronavirus pandemic has placed the opportunities and challenges of our intensely integrated world economy in stark relief. The movement of people across borders generates fear of contagion. And the…
By: Kimberly Clausing (opens in a new tab)
New congressional reports underscore structural inequalities driving U.S. racial disparities in coronavirus infections and COVID-19 deaths (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 4, 2020
Two recently released reports by the Joint Economic Committee and the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee echo the disturbing media reports that Americans of color, particularly African Americans, are disproportionately…
By: Liz Hipple (opens in a new tab)
Antitrust experts call on Congress to address failings in antitrust law to preserve competition and prevent monopolies in digital marketplaces (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAY 4, 2020
A group of the nation’s top U.S. antitrust experts told Congress this week that outdated and bad economic theory has undermined antitrust enforcement, allowing dominant companies to gain an unfair…
By: Michael Kades (opens in a new tab)
The coronavirus recession is severe, and the damage to the U.S. economy will last years (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 29, 2020
I shared my views on the coronavirus recession on March 24, at a virtual conference that economists Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman at the University of California, Berkeley organized. My…
By: Claudia Sahm (opens in a new tab)
Good U.S. fiscal policy could have made us stronger before the coronavirus recession and can make us stronger afterward (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 28, 2020
When U.S. policymakers seek to restore the U.S. economy in the wake of the coronavirus recession, what will constitute success? Returning the economy to its prepandemic state is not sufficient.…
By: John Sabelhaus (opens in a new tab)
Where should the marginal dollar go in U.S. fiscal policy—to testing or to the safety net—amid a pandemic-induced economic downturn? (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 27, 2020
In our recent working paper, “An SEIR Infectious Disease Model with Testing and Conditional Quarantine,” the two of us and Simon Mongey, an assistant professor of economics at the University…
By: David Berger (opens in a new tab), Kyle Herkenhoff (opens in a new tab)
Early lessons learned from the U.S. Small Business Administration’s first round of lending from its Paycheck Protection Program (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 23, 2020
Underscoring the direness of the coronavirus recession, Congress just reached an agreement to provide another $380 billion in rescue funding for small businesses, just one month after the passage of…
By: Amanda Fischer (opens in a new tab)
Three important questions to answer about global financial stabilization policies amid the coronavirus recession (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 20, 2020
On March 24, my colleagues Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman at the University of California, Berkeley asked me to present to a teleconference of about 100 economists and other experts…
By: Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas (opens in a new tab)
The coronavirus pandemic highlights the importance of disaggregating U.S. data by race and ethnicity (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 17, 2020
“We are all in this together” has been the refrain over the past four weeks, but it is far from the reality. Some of us still have jobs, while millions…
By: Austin Clemens (opens in a new tab)
Dealing with the U.S. economic and public health effects of the coronavirus recession compassionately and with an eye on a strong recovery (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 17, 2020
On March 24, I presented to a teleconference of about 100 economists and other experts gathered by my colleagues Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman of the University of California, Berkeley…
By: Jason Furman (opens in a new tab)
The coronavirus pandemic requires a wartime commitment for essential workers’ access to childcare (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 16, 2020
The current public health and economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic is reshaping society and the U.S. labor force in ways not experienced since World War II. Factories that…
By: Sam Abbott (opens in a new tab)
The coronavirus recession exposes how U.S. labor laws fail gig workers and independent contractors (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 16, 2020
The mandatory public health measures to control the spread of COVID-19 are deepening the effects of the coronavirus recession. More than 17 million workers are now seeking Unemployment Insurance benefits,…
By: Corey Husak (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Two significant U.S. macroeconomic needs to consider amid the coronavirus pandemic (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 15, 2020
Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman of the University of California, Berkeley organized a teleconference in late March of more than 100 economists and other experts at which I, along with…
By: N. Gregory Mankiw (opens in a new tab)
The three ways fiscal policy can be used to fight COVID-19 and the coronavirus recession (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 14, 2020
Late in March, before the U.S. Congress passed the $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act and President Donald Trump signed it into law, economists Emmanuel Saez and…
By: Olivier Blanchard (opens in a new tab)
U.S. economic policy principles for confronting the coronavirus recession (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 8, 2020
This post reflects our organization’s overall guiding policy principles for confronting the coronavirus recession as detailed on March 24. These principles still hold as there remains much to be done…
By: Heather Boushey (opens in a new tab), Somin Park (opens in a new tab)
Three important questions to answer about U.S. financial stabilization policies amid the coronavirus recession (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 7, 2020
The Federal Reserve Board last month took extraordinary actions to deal with the financial shocks delivered by the coronavirus pandemic. And Fed action, in a number of ways, will determine…
By: J. Nellie Liang (opens in a new tab)
JOLTS Day Graphs: February 2020 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 7, 2020
Every month the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases data on hiring, firing, and other labor market flows from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, better known as JOLTS.…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
The latest research on the public health and economic costs and benefits of containing the coronavirus pandemic (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 6, 2020
Scientists around the world are scrambling to find and test anti-viral drugs and a new vaccine for COVID-19, the disease behind the coronavirus pandemic now sweeping the planet. Economists and…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
First Jobs Day report since the onset of the coronavirus recession exposes a U.S. labor market in crisis (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 3, 2020
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics this morning released its monthly Employment Situation Summary, the first Jobs Day report to capture just how hard the coronavirus recession is hammering the…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: March 2020 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 3, 2020
On April 3rd, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data on the U.S. labor market during the month of March. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Raksha Kopparam (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
Two things state and local governments can do to mitigate the coronavirus recession in the United States (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 2, 2020
The U.S. economy is infected by the coronavirus pandemic, and a deep recession is practically inevitable. Congress and the Federal Reserve will lead the effort to fix the economy with…
By: Yair Listokin (opens in a new tab)
What Members of Congress Can Do After the Bailout (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 2, 2020
(This opinion piece first appeared in the American Prospect on March 30, 2020.) Congress was faced with a choice last week over how to restructure our economy in the wake…
By: Amanda Fischer (opens in a new tab)
How the coronavirus pandemic is harming family well-being for U.S. low-wage workers (opens in a new tab)
Blog APR 1, 2020
As the effects of the new coronavirus sweep through the U.S. economy, low-wage workers are hit first and hardest. Today, economist Liz Ananat at Barnard College and psychologist Anna Gassman-Pines…
By: Alix Gould-Werth (opens in a new tab), Raksha Kopparam (opens in a new tab)
The importance of an expanded U.S. Unemployment Insurance system during the coronavirus recession (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 31, 2020
On March 24, my colleagues Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman at the University of California, Berkeley, gathered some 100 fellow economists and other experts online to discuss the actions the…
By: Arindrajit Dube (opens in a new tab)
The long-term consequences of recessions for U.S. workers (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 30, 2020
Policymakers have asked—in some cases, demanded—that people stay home and businesses shutter as a public health crisis has unfolded across the United States, inducing an economic downturn. Despite positive developments…
By: Liz Hipple (opens in a new tab)
Getting money urgently to low-wage U.S. workers (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 30, 2020
To cushion the blow of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Congress last week passed and President Donald Trump signed the $2.2 trillion emergency stimulus package, including provisions to send checks…
By: Lisa Cook (opens in a new tab)
Congress fights back, and it’s absolutely necessary (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 27, 2020
(This piece was updated on April 1, 2020 to reflect the IRS guidance on the economic impact payments related to the coronavirus recession.) The coronavirus is killing people at a…
By: Claudia Sahm (opens in a new tab)
To prevent a long-term recession, make the U.S. government the payor of last resort now (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 27, 2020
The United States is facing an unprecedented economic crisis. With a public health-driven, government-ordered shutdown of vast sectors of the economy to slow the spread of the coronavirus, we’ve never…
By: Emmanuel Saez (opens in a new tab), Gabriel Zucman (opens in a new tab)
Paid caregiving leave: A missing piece in the U.S. social insurance system (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 25, 2020
Amid the ongoing public health crisis from the COVID-19 pandemic, many individuals can expect to be called away from work to care for a sick loved one or a child…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
What does the research say about paid family and medical leave policy design options in the United States? (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 25, 2020
Policymakers have failed to provide Americans with guaranteed paid family and medical leave at the federal level. As a result, working families across the United States must strike a delicate…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
What is paid medical leave and how does it support U.S. workers’ health and the U.S. economy? (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 25, 2020
When U.S. workers fall ill, it can be challenging to balance medical needs and job responsibilities. For short sicknesses, such as a cold or the flu, several days of rest…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
The president must appoint a COVID-19 czar to ramp up production of medical supplies (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 24, 2020
COVID-19 presents the gravest threat in generations to the health and well-being of Americans. The largest of obstacle standing in the way of our defeating that threat is the capacity…
By: Susan Helper (opens in a new tab)
Economic experts propose policy responses to coronavirus recession (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 24, 2020
University of California, Berkeley economists Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman, in cooperation with Economics for Inclusive Prosperity, are hosting an invitation-only online conference today to discuss economic policy responses to…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Creative economic solutions could help us avoid the next Great Depression (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 21, 2020
Policymakers across the United States are imposing ever more stringent restrictions on economic and social activities to combat the spread of the new coronavirus. “Flattening the curve” to lower the…
By: Susan Helper (opens in a new tab)
Coronavirus recession layoffs require reforms to the Unemployment Insurance program now to fully protect all U.S. workers (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 20, 2020
(This piece has been updated to reflect the release of Sen. Michael Bennet’s Unemployment Insurance reform proposal on March 24, 2020.) In the midst of the first layoffs in the…
By: David S. Mitchell (opens in a new tab)
In joint letter, Equitable Growth asks Congress to ‘stanch economic bleeding’ in COVID-19 legislative package (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 19, 2020
Heather Boushey, the president and CEO of the Washington Center for Equitable Growth, along with the leaders of three other Washington-based economic think tanks—the Center for American Progress, the Economic…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Competitive Edge: The future of vertical mergers and the thing called ‘EDM’ (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 19, 2020
Antitrust and competition issues are receiving renewed interest, and for good reason. So far, the discussion has occurred at a high level of generality. To address important specific antitrust enforcement…
By: Jonathan Sallet (opens in a new tab)
The only thing better than strengthening federal social supports now to prevent a coronavirus recession is strengthening them forever (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 17, 2020
(This piece has been updated to reflect the passage of revised legislation by the House of Representatives on March 14, 2020. The bill is now under consideration by the Senate.)…
By: Alix Gould-Werth (opens in a new tab)
JOLTS Day Graphs: January 2020 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 17, 2020
Every month the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases data on hiring, firing, and other labor market flows from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, better known as JOLTS.…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Raksha Kopparam (opens in a new tab), Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
New distributional snapshot of U.S. personal income is a landmark federal statistical product (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 16, 2020
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis recently released new estimates of how growth in personal income has been divided among high- and low-income earners between 2007 and…
By: Austin Clemens (opens in a new tab)
The U.S. economy is in a tailspin—policymakers must do everything they can to protect workers and their families (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 13, 2020
This is not a drill. The infections and deaths from the new coronavirus are climbing rapidly. Public events that bring us together are being cancelled or postponed every day to…
By: Claudia Sahm (opens in a new tab)
New research shows paid leave increases mothers’ labor force participation following childbirth (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 12, 2020
Despite women’s rising U.S. labor force participation over the past seven decades, women remain more likely than men to take time off work and modify their work schedules following the…
By: Sam Abbott (opens in a new tab)
A coronavirus recession is a real threat that U.S. policymakers must address now to avoid it becoming reality (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 11, 2020
Four days ago, I wrote in The Hill about how the federal government could fight the rapidly spreading new coronavirus. So much has happened since then. Today, public health officials…
By: Claudia Sahm (opens in a new tab)
Retool U.S. supply chains to address weaknesses exposed by new coronavirus (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 10, 2020
U.S. economic policymakers need to heed the fast-accumulating warning signs as the global coronavirus outbreak exposes weaknesses in supply chains crucial to American economic well-being. As these weaknesses come to…
By: Susan Helper (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: February 2020 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 6, 2020
On March 6th, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data on the U.S. labor market during the month of February. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth…
By: Raksha Kopparam (opens in a new tab), Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab)
What the historically low U.S. unemployment rate means for women workers (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 5, 2020
Women’s History Month began with some good news. One of the key indicators reported in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ monthly Jobs Report—the unemployment rate—documents an exceptionally good environment…
By: Carmen Sanchez Cumming (opens in a new tab)
U.S. economic policymakers need to fight the coronavirus now (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 4, 2020
The human tragedy of the coronavirus is now here in the United States. Nine deaths from the coronavirus have been reported in Washington state so far. Each day, more and…
By: Claudia Sahm (opens in a new tab)
The never-ending cycle: Incarceration, credit scores, and wealth accumulation in the United States (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 4, 2020
There are many events in people’s lives that can suddenly change the course of their future. Being incarcerated, or having a history of incarceration, is one significant event that research…
By: William Darity Jr. (opens in a new tab), Sarah Elizabeth Gaither (opens in a new tab), Monica Garcia-Perez (opens in a new tab)
Gross Domestic Product sets the tone of the U.S. economic debate while leaving working- and middle-class families behind (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 3, 2020
In a now-infamous incident in 2016, social scientist Anand Menon of King’s College London was discussing the economics of Brexit at a public forum. Upon noting that Brexit was likely…
By: Austin Clemens (opens in a new tab)
Age discrimination in the U.S. labor market is a major economic obstruction (opens in a new tab)
Blog MAR 2, 2020
There is ample evidence that employers in the United States discriminate against older workers, particularly in hiring and firing. Such discrimination is illegal, on paper. In reality, age discrimination goes…
By: David S. Mitchell (opens in a new tab)
Improved public school teaching of racial oppression could enable U.S. society to grasp the roots and effects of racial and economic inequality (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 27, 2020
Every February for the past 45 years the United States commemorates African American history—a month dedicated to learning about and celebrating the accomplishments and stories of black Americans throughout our…
By: Robynn Cox (opens in a new tab), Dania Francis (opens in a new tab)
Reforming U.S. antitrust enforcement and competition policy (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 18, 2020
This essay is part of Vision 2020: Evidence for a stronger economy, a compilation of 21 essays presenting innovative, evidence-based, and concrete ideas to shape the 2020 policy debate. The…
By: Fiona M. Scott Morton (opens in a new tab)
Improving competition to lower U.S. prescription drug costs (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 18, 2020
This essay is part of Vision 2020: Evidence for a stronger economy, a compilation of 21 essays presenting innovative, evidence-based, and concrete ideas to shape the 2020 policy debate. The…
By: Aaron S. Kesselheim (opens in a new tab)
Wage and employment implications of U.S. labor market monopsony and possible policy solutions (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 18, 2020
This essay is part of Vision 2020: Evidence for a stronger economy, a compilation of 21 essays presenting innovative, evidence-based, and concrete ideas to shape the 2020 policy debate. The…
By: Sydnee Caldwell (opens in a new tab), Suresh Naidu (opens in a new tab)
Aligning U.S. labor law with worker preferences for labor representation (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 18, 2020
This essay is part of Vision 2020: Evidence for a stronger economy, a compilation of 21 essays presenting innovative, evidence-based, and concrete ideas to shape the 2020 policy debate. The…
By: Alexander Hertel-Fernandez (opens in a new tab)
International trade policy that works for U.S. workers (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 18, 2020
This essay is part of Vision 2020: Evidence for a stronger economy, a compilation of 21 essays presenting innovative, evidence-based, and concrete ideas to shape the 2020 policy debate. The…
By: Kimberly Clausing (opens in a new tab)
Rebuilding U.S. labor market wage standards (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 18, 2020
This essay is part of Vision 2020: Evidence for a stronger economy, a compilation of 21 essays presenting innovative, evidence-based, and concrete ideas to shape the 2020 policy debate. The…
By: Arindrajit Dube (opens in a new tab)
The economic imperative of enacting paid family leave across the United States (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 18, 2020
This essay is part of Vision 2020: Evidence for a stronger economy, a compilation of 21 essays presenting innovative, evidence-based, and concrete ideas to shape the 2020 policy debate. The…
By: Maya Rossin-Slater (opens in a new tab), Jenna Stearns (opens in a new tab)
Addressing the need for affordable, high-quality early childhood care and education for all in the United States (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 18, 2020
This essay is part of Vision 2020: Evidence for a stronger economy, a compilation of 21 essays presenting innovative, evidence-based, and concrete ideas to shape the 2020 policy debate. The…
By: Taryn Morrissey (opens in a new tab)
Fair work schedules for the U.S. economy and society: What’s reasonable, feasible, and effective (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 18, 2020
This essay is part of Vision 2020: Evidence for a stronger economy, a compilation of 21 essays presenting innovative, evidence-based, and concrete ideas to shape the 2020 policy debate. The…
By: Susan Lambert (opens in a new tab)
Earnings instability and mobility over our working lives: Improving short- and long-term economic well-being for U.S. workers (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 18, 2020
This essay is part of Vision 2020: Evidence for a stronger economy, a compilation of 21 essays presenting innovative, evidence-based, and concrete ideas to shape the 2020 policy debate. The…
By: Emily Wiemers (opens in a new tab), Michael Carr (opens in a new tab)
Policies to strengthen our nation’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 18, 2020
This essay is part of Vision 2020: Evidence for a stronger economy, a compilation of 21 essays presenting innovative, evidence-based, and concrete ideas to shape the 2020 policy debate. The…
By: Hilary Hoynes (opens in a new tab), Diane Schanzenbach (opens in a new tab)
A modest tax reform proposal to roll back federal tax policy to 1997 (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 18, 2020
This essay is part of Vision 2020: Evidence for a stronger economy, a compilation of 21 essays presenting innovative, evidence-based, and concrete ideas to shape the 2020 policy debate. The…
By: Owen Zidar (opens in a new tab), Eric Zwick (opens in a new tab)
Good U.S. monetary policy can’t fix bad U.S. fiscal policy (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 18, 2020
This essay is part of Vision 2020: Evidence for a stronger economy, a compilation of 21 essays presenting innovative, evidence-based, and concrete ideas to shape the 2020 policy debate. The…
By: John Sabelhaus (opens in a new tab)
Fighting the next recession in the United States with law and regulation, not just fiscal and monetary policies (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 18, 2020
This essay is part of Vision 2020: Evidence for a stronger economy, a compilation of 21 essays presenting innovative, evidence-based, and concrete ideas to shape the 2020 policy debate. The…
By: Yair Listokin (opens in a new tab)
Race and the lack of intergenerational economic mobility in the United States (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 18, 2020
This essay is part of Vision 2020: Evidence for a stronger economy, a compilation of 21 essays presenting innovative, evidence-based, and concrete ideas to shape the 2020 policy debate. The…
By: Bradley Hardy (opens in a new tab), Trevon Logan (opens in a new tab)
Overcoming social exclusion: Addressing race and criminal justice policy in the United States (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 18, 2020
This essay is part of Vision 2020: Evidence for a stronger economy, a compilation of 21 essays presenting innovative, evidence-based, and concrete ideas to shape the 2020 policy debate. The…
By: Robynn Cox (opens in a new tab)
Prisoner re-entry in Native American communities offers lessons of resilience and nationwide policy solutions (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 18, 2020
This essay is part of Vision 2020: Evidence for a stronger economy, a compilation of 21 essays presenting innovative, evidence-based, and concrete ideas to shape the 2020 policy debate. The…
By: Blythe George (opens in a new tab)
The logistics of a reparations program in the United States (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 18, 2020
This essay is part of Vision 2020: Evidence for a stronger economy, a compilation of 21 essays presenting innovative, evidence-based, and concrete ideas to shape the 2020 policy debate. The…
By: Dania Francis (opens in a new tab)
Promote economic and racial justice: Eliminate student loan debt and establish a right to higher education across the United States (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 18, 2020
This essay is part of Vision 2020: Evidence for a stronger economy, a compilation of 21 essays presenting innovative, evidence-based, and concrete ideas to shape the 2020 policy debate. The…
By: Darrick Hamilton (opens in a new tab), Naomi Zewde (opens in a new tab)
A plan for equitable climate policy in the United States (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 18, 2020
This essay is part of Vision 2020: Evidence for a stronger economy, a compilation of 21 essays presenting innovative, evidence-based, and concrete ideas to shape the 2020 policy debate. The…
By: Leah Stokes (opens in a new tab), Matto Mildenberger (opens in a new tab)
New measurement for a new economy (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 18, 2020
This essay is part of Vision 2020: Evidence for a stronger economy, a compilation of 21 essays presenting innovative, evidence-based, and concrete ideas to shape the 2020 policy debate. The…
By: Heather Boushey (opens in a new tab)
New research reveals discriminatory disparities by race in U.S. job displacement (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 13, 2020
Job displacement is a distinct form of job loss that reflects how structural changes in the economy impact individual workers, not how it may be rooted in an individual’s job…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab)
“How Monopsony Impacts Older Women Workers” (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 12, 2020
This article, “How Monopsony Impacts Older Women Workers,” originally appeared in the Fall 2019 Volume of “Generations,” a journal of the American Society on Ageing, or ASA. This cross posting…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab)
JOLTS Day Graphs: December 2019 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 11, 2020
Every month the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases data on hiring, firing, and other labor market flows from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, better known as JOLTS.…
By: Raksha Kopparam (opens in a new tab), Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: January 2020 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 7, 2020
On February 7th, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data on the U.S. labor market during the month of January. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Austin Clemens (opens in a new tab)
The State of the Union speech should not ignore inequality that obstructs, subverts, and distorts the U.S. economy (opens in a new tab)
Blog FEB 4, 2020
When President Donald Trump delivers his State of the Union address to Congress tonight, he will undoubtedly devote a significant portion of his speech to the U.S. economy. He will…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
“Women’s Work-Life Economics” (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 30, 2020
This article, “Women’s Work-Life Economics,” originally appeared in the 2019, Volume 23 of “LERA Perspectives on Work,” a magazine published by the Labor and Employment Relations Association, or LERA. More…
By: Heather Boushey (opens in a new tab), Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab)
‘Clean slate for worker power’ promotes a fair and inclusive U.S. economy (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 29, 2020
Harvard University’s Labor and Worklife Program, led by Sharon Block and Benjamin Sachs of Harvard Law School, recently launched its “clean slate for worker power” agenda addressing the dual crises…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab)
Why Americans need to know more about the Federal Reserve (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 28, 2020
What is the most important policy decision about the U.S. economy this week? Arguably, it won’t be made in Congress or by the Trump administration. It’s the vote at the…
By: Claudia Sahm (opens in a new tab)
“Taxing Wealth” (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 28, 2020
In “Taxing Wealth,” Equitable Growth’s Director of Tax Policy and chief economist Greg Leiserson outlines the case for major reforms to the taxation of wealth in the United States, details…
By: Greg Leiserson (opens in a new tab)
What does the research say about the FAMILY Act? (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 27, 2020
In the most recent sign of growing interest in a federal paid leave policy, tomorrow at 10:00 a.m., the Committee on Ways and Means will hold a Hearing on Legislative…
By: Alix Gould-Werth (opens in a new tab)
President and CEO Heather Boushey shares insights on inequality and growth via Medium (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 24, 2020
Washington Center for Equitable Growth President and CEO Heather Boushey today posted her debut article, “Why we need an economy that works for everyone — and how to get it,”…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
What does the research say about the FAMILY Act provisions? (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 24, 2020
In February 2019, the Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act was reintroduced in the 116th Congress as H.R. 1185/S. 463. Five states have implemented paid leave programs: California (2004), New…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
To move beyond GDP, put alternatives front and center (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 23, 2020
Economists increasingly believe it is important to do more to measure the economic well-being of the families who make up the economy and to deemphasize Gross Domestic Product growth, the…
By: Austin Clemens (opens in a new tab)
Persistent economic gaps frustrate the dream of racial economic equality in the United States (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 20, 2020
As the United States observes the birthday of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., we honor his dream not only of social and political equality but also of economic equality.…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
JOLTS Day Graphs: November 2019 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 17, 2020
Every month the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases data on hiring, firing, and other labor market flows from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, better known as JOLTS.…
By: Raksha Kopparam (opens in a new tab), Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: December 2019 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 10, 2020
On January 10th, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data on the U.S. labor market during the month of December. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth…
By: Raksha Kopparam (opens in a new tab), Austin Clemens (opens in a new tab)
ASSA Round-up: Day 3 (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 5, 2020
Today was the final day of the three-day annual meeting of the Allied Social Science Associations, which is organized by the American Economic Association. The conference, held in San Diego…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
ASSA Round-up: Day 2 (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 4, 2020
Today was the second day of the three-day annual meeting of the Allied Social Science Associations, which is organized by the American Economic Association. The conference, held in San Diego…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
ASSA Round-up: Day 1 (opens in a new tab)
Blog JAN 3, 2020
Today was the first day of the three-day annual meeting of the Allied Social Science Associations, which is organized by the American Economic Association. The conference, held in San Diego…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Preview: Equitable Growth network at ASSA 2020 annual meeting (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 31, 2019
The 2020 annual meeting of the American Economics Association’s Allied Social Science Associations will be held January 3–5 in San Diego. The three-day meeting brings together more than 13,000 of…
By: Christian Edlagan (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Michael Kades co-authors AARP amicus brief in Impax Laboratories, Inc. v. Federal Trade Commission court case (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 26, 2019
The Washington Center for Equitable Growth’s Director of Markets and Competition Policy Michael Kades co-authored an amicus brief for AARP and the AARP Foundation filed with the U.S. Court of…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Congress adopts historic prescription drug pricing reform (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 23, 2019
Here’s a sentence that might seem impossible, given our current political circumstances, but it’s true: The U.S. Congress just passed, and President Donald Trump signed, significant bipartisan legislation to curb…
By: Michael Kades (opens in a new tab)
Understanding the economic effects of federal tax changes (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 20, 2019
The primary purpose of taxation is to fund public spending in a fair manner. When analyzing proposed tax changes, tax economists must make complex assumptions about how people would respond…
By: Corey Husak (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s 2020 Request for Proposals is an opportunity to better understand the structural barriers to intergenerational mobility (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 18, 2019
Two years ago, the Washington Center for Equitable Growth launched a new initiative to connect the dots between poverty, inequality, and mobility. Harvard economist—and founding Equitable Growth Steering Committee member—Raj…
By: Liz Hipple (opens in a new tab)
Nobel laureates, former Fed chair, two former CEA chairs–58 scholars endorse the Measuring Real Income Growth Act of 2019 (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 18, 2019
Fifty-eight economists and other social scientists, including Nobel laureates Robert Solow and Joseph Stiglitz, former chair of the Federal Reserve Janet Yellen, and former chairs of the Council of Economic…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
JOLTS Day Graphs: October 2019 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 17, 2019
Every month the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases data on hiring, firing, and other labor market flows from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, better known as JOLTS.…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Austin Clemens (opens in a new tab)
New measure of county-level GDP gives insight into local-level U.S. economic growth (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 16, 2019
Since the 1930s and ‘40s, the United States has primarily relied on Gross Domestic Product, or GDP, as the main measure of economic growth and activity. For decades, analysts viewed…
By: Raksha Kopparam (opens in a new tab)
Competitive Edge: Underestimating the cost of underenforcing U.S. antitrust laws (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 13, 2019
Antitrust and competition issues are receiving renewed interest, and for good reason. So far, the discussion has occurred at a high level of generality. To address important specific antitrust enforcement…
By: Michael Kades (opens in a new tab)
New Equitable Growth Request for Proposals for scholars planning cutting-edge research on paid family and medical leave (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 11, 2019
How does the availability of paid personal medical leave affect employees’ economic security, health, and other outcomes? How does paid caregiving leave affect the physical and mental health of care…
By: Alix Gould-Werth (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth joins 10 other organizations in endorsing the Measuring Real Income Growth Act (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 11, 2019
For decades, the approach to economic policymaking in the United States has been conducted under the presumption that “a rising tide lifts all boats,” and that we can therefore rely…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Great Recession’s ‘lost generation’ shows importance of policies to ease next downturn (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 10, 2019
There is considerable research showing that recessions hit young college graduates harder than older graduates. Based on the evidence from research I’ve done for a new working paper, the damage…
By: Jesse Rothstein (opens in a new tab)
McGuinness brings experience building organizations and supporting data-driven policy to Equitable Growth board (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 9, 2019
Tara Dawson McGuinness, a senior fellow at the public policy think tank New America and a senior adviser to its National Network and Public Interest Technology programs, has joined the…
By: Heather Boushey (opens in a new tab)
Eight graphs that tell the story of U.S. economic inequality (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 9, 2019
Rising economic inequality over the past 40 years has redrawn the U.S. wealth and income landscape, shifting many of the gains of prosperity into the hands of a smaller and…
By: Austin Clemens (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: November 2019 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 6, 2019
On December 6th, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data on the U.S. labor market during the month of November. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth…
By: Raksha Kopparam (opens in a new tab), Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab)
To fight falling U.S. intergenerational mobility, tackle economic inequality (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 5, 2019
Economic inequality—on the rise since the 1980s—is occurring at the same time that intergenerational mobility is on the decline. Intergenerational mobility measures the relationship between children and their parents’ incomes.…
By: Raksha Kopparam (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Vision 2020 book of essays on economic inequality and growth will inform 2020 policy debate (opens in a new tab)
Blog DEC 3, 2019
At our “Vision 2020 conference” last month, the Washington Center for Equitable Growth announced the forthcoming release of a compilation of 21 innovative, evidence-based, and concrete ideas to shape the…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
‘OK, Boomer’: How millennials have been left behind in the recovery from the Great Recession (opens in a new tab)
Blog NOV 20, 2019
The national debate on economic policy recently turned along generational lines, with the popularization of the sarcastic phrase “OK, Boomer.” The premise is that prototypical baby boomers are misguided in…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab)
Antitrust remedies to the domination of digital platform technologies and the acquisition of nascent competitors (opens in a new tab)
Blog NOV 19, 2019
The debate over the role of large internet companies and their impact on the U.S. economy ranges from those who see nothing wrong to proposals to break them up. Within…
By: Michael Kades (opens in a new tab)
Higher education is not the U.S. mobility engine it could be because admissions practices are rigging the system (opens in a new tab)
Blog NOV 7, 2019
Higher education in the United States has historically been a source of economic mobility—a ticket to the middle class and higher—for millions of Americans. But at a time of sustained…
By: David S. Mitchell (opens in a new tab)
New paid leave research demonstrates challenge of balancing work and caregiving (opens in a new tab)
Blog NOV 6, 2019
Paid leave supports people who hold dual roles as members of the workforce and members of families. Effort expended in worksites from office buildings to restaurant kitchens to factory floors…
By: Alix Gould-Werth (opens in a new tab)
JOLTS Day Graphs: September 2019 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog NOV 5, 2019
Every month the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases data on hiring, firing, and other labor market flows from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, better known as JOLTS.…
By: Raksha Kopparam (opens in a new tab), Austin Clemens (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: October 2019 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog NOV 4, 2019
On November 1st, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data on the U.S. labor market during the month of October. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth…
By: Raksha Kopparam (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth hosts Vision 2020 Conference in Washington, highlighting connection between economic inequality and growth (opens in a new tab)
Blog OCT 30, 2019
Economic inequality in the United States has grown over the past few decades to levels not seen in nearly a century. As a result, more than any presidential election in…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Testimony by Kate Bahn before the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee (opens in a new tab)
Blog OCT 29, 2019
Thank you Chair Nadler, Ranking Member Collins, Subcommittee Chair Cicilline and Subcommittee Ranking Member Sensenbrenner for inviting me to testify today. My name is Kate Bahn and I am the…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab)
Schooled by strikes: How strikes shape workers’ views about the U.S. labor movement (opens in a new tab)
Blog OCT 29, 2019
After 40 years of decline in the frequency and scale of labor strikes, U.S. workers are engaging in walkouts, strikes, and other workplace actions in record numbers. Nearly half a…
By: Alexander Hertel-Fernandez (opens in a new tab), Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab)
Public Policy Implications of the Millennial Wealth Gap (opens in a new tab)
Blog OCT 24, 2019
The essay below by Senior Policy Advisor Liz Hipple was published today by New America as part of a collection of essays in its new book, “The Emerging Millennial Wealth…
By: Liz Hipple (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth CEO Talks All Things Economic Inequality in Recent Reddit “Ask Me Anything” series (opens in a new tab)
Blog OCT 21, 2019
The Washington Center for Equitable Growth President and CEO Heather Boushey earlier this month answered questions from across the world on economic inequality via the social networking platform Reddit as…
By: Equitable Growth (opens in a new tab)
Competitive Edge: Jason Furman testifies on the role of data and privacy in online platforms’ market power (opens in a new tab)
Blog OCT 18, 2019
Antitrust and competition issues are receiving renewed interest, and for good reason. So far, the discussion has occurred at a high level of generality. To address important specific antitrust enforcement…
By: Jason Furman (opens in a new tab)
How U.S. workers’ just-in-time schedules perpetuate racial and ethnic inequality (opens in a new tab)
Blog OCT 16, 2019
In an attempt to minimize labor costs, employers in today’s U.S. economy saddle workers with last-minute and low-quality schedules. These schedules, sometimes referred to as “just-in-time schedules,” are unpredictable, unstable,…
By: Cesar Perez (opens in a new tab), Alix Gould-Werth (opens in a new tab)
School segregation undermines U.S. economic mobility and dynamism (opens in a new tab)
Blog OCT 15, 2019
School segregation—far from being a topic relegated to debates about school busing in the past or something that is only relevant in the South—is an issue very much present and…
By: Liz Hipple (opens in a new tab)
Why a wealth tax in the United States might increase efficiency (opens in a new tab)
Blog OCT 10, 2019
The well-documented rise in wealth inequality in the United States since the 1980s has sparked debate on wealth taxes as a tool to raise revenue and reduce wealth disparities. Contributing…
By: Somin Park (opens in a new tab)
JOLTS Day Graphs: August 2019 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog OCT 9, 2019
Every month the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases data on hiring, firing, and other labor market flows from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, better known as JOLTS.…
By: Raksha Kopparam (opens in a new tab), Austin Clemens (opens in a new tab)
The political influence and preferences of the U.S. economic elite (opens in a new tab)
Blog OCT 7, 2019
With economic resources increasingly concentrated the top of the wealth and income ladders in the United States, the political power to influence and make policy increasingly resides with a tiny…
By: Somin Park (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: September 2019 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog OCT 4, 2019
On October 4th, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data on the U.S. labor market during the month of September. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth…
By: Raksha Kopparam (opens in a new tab), Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab)
Competitive Edge: Five building blocks for antitrust success: the forthcoming FTC competition report (opens in a new tab)
Blog OCT 1, 2019
Antitrust and competition issues are receiving renewed interest, and for good reason. So far, the discussion has occurred at a high level of generality. To address important specific antitrust enforcement…
By: Jonathan Sallet (opens in a new tab)
Killer acquisitions lead to decreased innovation and competition in the U.S. prescription drug market (opens in a new tab)
Blog SEP 25, 2019
There is a long-running debate in economics about whether monopolies or competition spur innovation. This debate is sometimes known as the Schumpeter-Arrow debate after the views of Austrian economist Joseph…
By: Raksha Kopparam (opens in a new tab)
Public investment is crucial to strengthening U.S. economic growth and tackling inequality (opens in a new tab)
Blog SEP 23, 2019
Despite policymakers’ oft-repeated promises of more spending on infrastructure and other key investments, U.S. public investment has reached new lows. Public investment is a key driver of long-term productivity and…
By: Somin Park (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth event highlights Boushey’s new book Unbound about how inequality obstructs, subverts, and distorts economic growth (opens in a new tab)
Blog SEP 20, 2019
Drawing lessons from data and the need to rebuild governing institutions to address structural problems in the U.S. economy were key themes at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth’s most…
By: Somin Park (opens in a new tab)
Testimony by Heather Boushey before the House Budget Committee (opens in a new tab)
Blog SEP 19, 2019
Thank you, Chairman Yarmuth and Ranking Member Womack, for inviting me to speak today. It’s an honor to be here. My name is Heather Boushey and I am President and…
By: Heather Boushey (opens in a new tab)
Economic inequality matters for Federal Reserve monetary policymaking (opens in a new tab)
Blog SEP 17, 2019
After the U.S. Federal Reserve cut interest rates at the end of July, Fed Chair Jerome Powell suggested that inequality concerns influenced the decision when he underscored the importance of…
By: Somin Park (opens in a new tab)
Low interest rates can dampen competition and hurt productivity growth (opens in a new tab)
Blog SEP 16, 2019
U.S. interest rates hovered near zero for 7 years after the Federal Reserve slashed rates in 2008 during the Great Recession, with a gradual series of rate hikes then carrying…
By: Somin Park (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth CEO’s written testimony at California Future of Work Commission (opens in a new tab)
Blog SEP 11, 2019
Unbound: How Inequality Constricts Our Economy Heather Boushey California Future of Work Commission September 10, 2019 On Sept. 10, 2019, Heather Boushey, president and CEO of the Washington Center for…
By: Heather Boushey (opens in a new tab)
The National Economic Association and the American Society of Hispanic Economists work to diversify and strengthen economics research (opens in a new tab)
Blog SEP 9, 2019
Last month, the National Economic Association and the American Society of Hispanic Economists hosted the sixth annual NEA-ASHE Freedom and Justice Conference at University of New Mexico’s Department of Economics.…
By: Will McGrew (opens in a new tab)
The death of the Phillips Curve is the time to lift up new economic indicators (opens in a new tab)
Blog SEP 4, 2019
The U.S. Federal Reserve Board’s “dual mandate” of achieving maximum employment and stable prices is based on an economic rule of thumb known as the Phillips Curve. First postulated in…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Austin Clemens (opens in a new tab)
The once and future role of strikes in ensuring U.S. worker power (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 29, 2019
In the United States, Labor Day, which falls on the first Monday of September, is when we honor the history of the U.S. labor movement in striving for benefits and…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab)
What kind of labor organizations do U.S. workers want? (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 28, 2019
Looking at trends in union membership over the past 30 years, you might assume that U.S. workers have soured on the labor movement. But given a politically hostile environment toward…
By: Alexander Hertel-Fernandez (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth invests $1.064 million in advancing research on inequality and growth (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 26, 2019
The Washington Center for Equitable Growth today announced a set of 14 research grants to scholars seeking evidence on key issues related to economic inequality and growth. The research, chosen…
By: Korin Davis (opens in a new tab)
The Federal Reserve’s new Distributional Financial Accounts provide telling data on growing U.S. wealth and income inequality (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 22, 2019
Wealth disparities between the rich and the poor in the United States have broadened over the past 30 years, according to a new dataset released earlier this month by researchers…
By: Raksha Kopparam (opens in a new tab)
Research finds the domestic outsourcing of jobs leads to declining U.S. job quality and lower wages (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 21, 2019
The domestic outsourcing of jobs in the United States is fast becoming a dominant explanation for the destruction of the social contract of work, a historic concept in which norms…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab)
New research shows California Paid Family Leave reduces poverty (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 20, 2019
The United States remains the only industrialized nation without a national paid leave program, despite evidence that these programs can benefit working parents and employers as well. In 2004, California…
By: Katherine Policelli (opens in a new tab), Alix Gould-Werth (opens in a new tab)
Extensive nonstandard work hours among U.S. low-income mothers hinder their kids’ enrollment in center-based childcare (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 12, 2019
Significant income-based disparities in kids’ enrollment in center-based early childcare and education persist in the United States. Two well-documented reasons are the high costs of this kind of care and…
By: Cesar Perez (opens in a new tab)
JOLTS Day Graphs: June 2019 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 6, 2019
Every month the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases data on hiring, firing, and other labor market flows from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, better known as JOLTS.…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Will McGrew (opens in a new tab)
Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: July 2019 Report Edition (opens in a new tab)
Blog AUG 2, 2019
On August 2nd, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data on the U.S. labor market during the month of July. Below are five graphs compiled by Equitable Growth…
By: Kate Bahn (opens in a new tab), Will McGrew (opens in a new tab)
Prescription drug pricing reforms in Congress are one step closer (opens in a new tab)
Blog JUL 29, 2019
The U.S. Senate is moving the country one step closer to helping rein in rising prescription drug prices by restoring market competition—in a rare example of bipartisanship on Capitol Hill.…
By: Michael Kades (opens in a new tab)
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