Josh Bivens

4 days ago | epi.org | Josh Bivens

House Republicans wanted to find a way to defray the cost of the tax cuts they passed for the richest households in the country. They chose to slash programs helping some of the most vulnerable families—including Medicaid and subsidies that let people buy health insurance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

1 week ago | epi.org | Josh Bivens |Adam Hersh

Recent public opinion polling indicates that Americans seem to have nuanced views on trade. They are skeptical of the benefits of trade with other countries (particularly China) and yet are also skeptical about the benefits of higher import tariffs, worrying that they could lead to higher prices (Gracia 2024; Lange and Lawder 2024). On the surface, these views may seem inconsistent, but they are perceptive about the differences between the effects of trade versus the effects of trade policy.

1 month ago | portside.org | Celine McNicholas |Samantha Sanders |Josh Bivens |Margaret Poydock

100 Days, 100 Ways Trump Has Hurt Workers Published April 25, 2025 The first 100 days of Trump’s second term have been chaotic. Trump along with Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have engaged in a near-daily onslaught of actions to dismantle the federal government and eliminate services and benefits that working families rely upon.

1 month ago | epi.org | Celine McNicholas |Samantha Sanders |Josh Bivens |Margaret Poydock

Rolled back an executive order requiring federal contractors to recognize existing unions in successor contracts and offer jobs to their predecessors’ employees before hiring new workers. Proposed exempting tipped and overtime income from taxation to benefit employers and high earners who game the system. Rolled back guidance on the rights of student-athletes, remedies for victims of labor law violations, electronic monitoring standards, and noncompete agreements.

1 month ago | epi.org | Elise Gould |Josh Bivens

How should we assess and characterize workers’ wage growth in recent decades? Key takeaways:Real median wages grew too slowly and only in fits and starts over the last 45 years. This pattern was even starker for low-wage workers. Median wages grew only one-third as fast as economy-wide productivity growth. Wage growth was reasonably healthy during tight labor markets but almost zero in other years.