Seems timely to repost the latest from @moniquemorrissey.bsky.social on Trump's proposed rule to make crypto widely available for 401(k)s.

Real wages declined 0.3% for low-wage workers in 2025, a stark departure from the unusually strong wage gains they had experienced over the previous five years. This reversal was not inevitable—it was caused by policy decisions that weakened the labor market. #EconSky @epi.org @joe-fast.bsky.social

Brilliant analysis by @epi.org: 47 ways Trump has made life less affordable in the last year www.epi.org/publication/...

Low-wage workers saw their real wages decline in 2025, a sharp reversal from the historically fast real wage growth they had experienced over the previous five years. For all the details, check out my latest research with @joe-fast.bsky.social @epi.org www.epi.org/blog/low-wag... #EconSky

The federal statistical agencies (FSAs) that produce the gold standard economic data employers/investors/job seekers/workers/policymakers rely on to assess the health of the U.S. economy face unprecedented threats. We've pulled next-best data from non-FSA sources to help keep an eye on things. 1/5

“Let’s be very clear about what the legislature did in late 2024: they cut taxes on large profitable corporations and wealthy households and they made up some, but not all, of the revenue by raising the most regressive tax that we have,” Moller said. #lalege #lagov

New rule on alternative investments in retirement accounts expected very soon. Here's an FAQ that provides background. This is all about enriching himself and his cronies, not "democratizing" investment options. And as taxpayers, we'll be subsidizing it. www.epi.org/publication/...

I just voted to help @credomobile.bsky.social decide how to distribute its monthly funding to progressive nonprofits. You can vote, too—it's free and takes less than a minute. Vote for @epi.org! bit.ly/3hA7arP

Mass deportations eliminate employment opportunities for citizens and immigrants alike while dismantling a care infrastructure that seniors, people with disabilities, and families depend on

Trump's aggressive and arbitrary immigration enforcement could devastate the care sector. Immigrants are nearly 30% of direct care jobs, and 40% of home health aides

Instead of protecting millions of workers with retirement accounts, Trump is knocking down guardrails to allow riskier investments. @moniquemorrissey.bsky.social has everything you need to know about Trump’s efforts to make crypto, private equity & other alts widely available to retirement savers.

A new poll of Kentucky voters finds broad, bipartisan support for raising pay, improving benefits, and giving workers a stronger voice on the job — reflecting deep concerns about affordability and a growing gap between the wealthy and everyone else. #kyga26

Yesterday PM, a #VaLeg House committee advanced a bill to #RaiseTheWageVa to $15 by 2028. Next step: The House floor. 🎉 "Boosting the minimum wage is good affordability policy," says @epi.org.#VaLeg#RaiseTheWageVaore details here: bit.ly/epi-min-wage

These are the sectors @epi.org reported would be most affected by mass deportation back in July...

The latest read on the labor market comes in the unemployment insurance claims data released this morning: www.dol.gov/ui/data.pdf Initial and continued claims fell in latest week of data, but that trend is consistent with the same reference week in 2025. #EconSky #NumbersDay

According to our 2025 Living Income Standard, one adult in NC needs to make $20.30/hr just to afford their basic needs. NC’s minimum wage is still at $7.25/hr. It’s beyond time for #NCGA leaders to step up and increase the minimum wage to a livable wage.

JANUARY 27 New state data is updated on our labor market page! Check it out here:

The federal budget is going to have a sizeable impact on Montanans who rely on Medicaid expansion for access to care. Learn more here: https://www.belgrade-news.com/opinion/h-r-1-impacts-to-montana-medicaid-expansion/article_c5a9b8d9-4d49-43dc-a87c-47bd20c3ee6b.html

The House budget came out today. It severely cuts or freezes many parts of the state budget and underfunds essential public services, all with the apparent goal of triggering more income tax cuts.

⏰ TOMORROW NIGHT! Join long-time member of the labor movement, EPI Senior State Policy Strategist, and author @dskamper.bsky.social for a virtual conversation about his latest book Who's Got The Power? The Resurgence of the American Union. ✊ Wednesday, January 28 5:30-6:30p FREE Register now!

Are you interested in state policy, research, and making a difference in your community? NHFPI is accepting applications for the N.H. State Policy Fellowship — a 2-year, paid fellowship focused on state budgets, tax policy, and equity. 🗓 Apply by Feb 28, 2026 🔗 buff.ly/c6RH2rg #hiring #NHjobs

“It’s a really horrible idea and a little dystopian to bring in people on a temporary visa to make them ‘permanently temporary’,” says Daniel Costa, the director of immigration law and policy research at @epi.org.

Virginia lawmakers are poised to consider legislation extending full collective bargaining rights to public employees at all levels of state and local government. 👉 Strong unions make stronger communities 👈 EPI's @jensherer.bsky.social and @moniquemorrissey.bsky.social break it down

I started a MN Accounts list of Minnesota people and institutions here that I learn from. It's informative but incomplete. Pin it. Browse accounts to follow or browse the feed to stay up to date with posts from all the accounts. If you want on or off, DM me. bsky.app/profile/did:...

When unions are strong, workers have more power and communities thrive. In the face of rising inequality and authoritarianism, unions organize, educate, and mobilize working people to defend voting rights, push back against disinformation, and expand civic participation. Here's how👇

3) and on Wednesday, January 28th, my comrades at @epi.org are hosting a talk - both in person and online options available! (please register at link) I hope to see you at one of these events if you can. These are lonely times. We need each other.

Policy Insights registration is LIVE!! 🤩 We're excited to bring together experts, advocates, community leaders, philanthropy, and others working to advance equitable public policy. ⚡ Register today to get your early bird ticket! https://calbudgetcenter.org/policy-insights-conference/

DECEMBER 31 New local data is updated on our labor market page! Check it out here:

“You don’t see that same loss with Black men, you don’t see that same loss with other groups of women... It was a sharp and unique decline in employment for Black women.” -- Valerie Wilson of @epi.org

No tax on tips or overtime does little to actually help workers.

This week at the Capitol: #CT families deserve a more affordable future and a state Child Tax Credit is a proven way to get there. Explore how a #CTChildTaxCredit could strengthen family economic security and reduce child poverty. Register: heyor.ca/pfQeFU

"The immortal words of Coretta Scott King capture the true spirit of the civil rights era and expose Trump’s hypocrisy: 'Freedom and justice cannot be parceled out in pieces to suit political convenience. I don’t believe you can stand for freedom for one group of people and deny it to others.'"

"The immortal words of Coretta Scott King capture the true spirit of the civil rights era and expose Trump’s hypocrisy: 'Freedom and justice cannot be parceled out in pieces to suit political convenience. I don’t believe you can stand for freedom for one group of people and deny it to others.'"

A deportation plan that wreaks havoc on every level, hurting immigrant and U.S.-born workers.

BREAKING: The federal minimum wage remains an official poverty wage in 2026. 😵 The annual earnings of a single adult working full-time, year-round at $7.25/hour falls below the newly released poverty threshold for any household of any size. 1/

Working people across the country are struggling to pay their bills, and the Trump administration’s economic policies, mass firings and union-busting are only making life less affordable. Working people need real relief. More from @epi.org:

Workers across the country are fighting to make ends meet — and the Trump admin’s economic policies, including eroding workers’ rights and union-busting, are not making life more affordable. It’s time to put working people first. @epi.org:

In 2024, CEOs were paid 281x as much as a typical worker 📈 CEOs don’t work 281x harder than you. They’re not 281x smarter. They just get to set their own pay. Learn more: www.epi.org/blog/ceo-pay...

Since 1938, workers have counted on overtime pay when working over 40 hrs/week. But Project 2025 proposes allowing to skirt the rules. States need to act now to defend/protect workers’ right to overtime pay. @dskamper.bsky.social and @jensherer.bsky.social describe how ↴

EPI: “.. In this report, we examine 47 of the most significant actions Trump has taken in the first year of his second term to make it harder for working families to afford the cost of living.” @epi.org @deanbaker13.bsky.social www.epi.org/publication/...

The 47th president has made life less affordable for everyone but himself & his billionaire backers Trump has 😠 slowed job growth, 😡 undercut incomes for workers 🤬 enriched the ultrawealthy The latest from @joshbivens-econ.bsky.social , @cmcnich.bsky.social, and Margaret Poydock.

Child labor violations have been on the rise across the country as lawmakers in many states have proposed bills to reverse long-standing state child labor standards. Youth work permits are effective in curbing violations. Nina Mast, Ashish Kabra, and Fred (Jiacong) Bao with the latest.

You may know him as EPI's Senior Economist specializing in minimum wage, inequality, and low-wage labor markets, and mastermind behind your favorite EPI tools. 🎉 Now you can congratulate @benzipperer.org on being (a back-to-back) Siegel Research Fellow!

The public has supported raising taxes on the ultrarich and corporations for years, but policymakers have failed to act. → Raising taxes on the rich makes good economic and political sense. EPI’s latest report from @joshbivens-econ.bsky.social 1/

Millions of working families will lose coverage and millions more face sharply higher premiums if the ACA tax credits expire. New analysis from @kdoc-writes.bsky.social and @groundwork.bsky.social's Breyon Williams find Black Americans would face deep losses and financial harm.

Trump’s DOJ is suing Minneapolis Public Schools over a union contract it falsely labels "discriminatory" against white teachers. @dskamper.bsky.social & Valerie Wilson set the record straight—showing how the contract protects all educators while preserving a diverse teaching workforce.

EPI's Margaret Poydock on the record about how low-wage workers are the most vulnerable to wage theft by employers. It's theft at scale. Recently the District of Columbia and 34 states successfully sued to recover just 3 years of stolen wages...and it amounted to over $200 million.

Manufacturing is effectively in a recession, losing jobs every month since April, for a total loss of 72,000 jobs. Since April, essentially all private sector job gains have been in health care: health care added 306,000 jobs over that period, while the private sector overall added just 300,000.

Among women, the unemployment rise has been SHARPEST for Black women according to Dr. Valerie Wilson @epi.org. This is #TheDoubleTax.

#JobsReport chart giving a lesson in what "decidedly weaker" looks like. For all the #JobsDay #JOLTS analysis, we turn to @elisegould.bsky.social 👇