🏳️Economic Policy Institute | Research and Ideas for Shared Prosperity

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Rooted in Racism

Child care costs

Medicaid cuts

Strikes

[Domestic workers’ pay and working conditions in the South reflect racist, gendered notions of care](https://www.epi.org/publication/domestic-workers-pay-and-working-conditions-in-the-south-reflect-racist-gendered-notions-of-care-rooted-in-racism-and-economic-exploitation-spotlight/)

Domestic workers are the 2.3 million workers nationwide who provide vital support to our elders and chronically ill or disabled family members, care for our children, and help maintain our households.

Despite their vital role in supporting American families and the economy, domestic workers are underpaid and unprotected, particularly in the South, where nearly one-third of the country’s domestic workers live.

Lawmakers should adopt Domestic Worker Bill of Rights legislation; amend state laws to allow domestic workers to form unions; and eliminate harmful state preemption of local labor ordinances that improve upon state law. [**Read more**](https://www.epi.org/publication/domestic-workers-pay-and-working-conditions-in-the-south-reflect-racist-gendered-notions-of-care-rooted-in-racism-and-economic-exploitation-spotlight/)

### More from Rooted in Racism

*   [Forced prison labor in the “Land of the Free”](https://www.epi.org/publication/rooted-racism-prison-labor/)

*   [Voter suppression makes the racist and anti-worker Southern model possible](https://www.epi.org/publication/rooted-racism-voter-suppression/)

*   [Tipping is a racist relic and a modern tool of economic oppression](https://www.epi.org/publication/rooted-racism-tipping/)

[Updated tool calculates the cost of child care in every state](https://www.epi.org/child-care-costs-in-the-united-states/)

Child care more expensive than rent? Child care more expensive than public college tuition? That’s the case in most states. 

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, child care is affordable if it costs no more than 7% of a family’s income. This isn’t inevitable—it is a policy choice. Federal and state policymakers can and should act to make child care more affordable, and ensure that child care workers can afford the same quality of care for their own children. [**Calculate child care costs in your state**](https://www.epi.org/child-care-costs-in-the-united-states/)

### Related

*   *   [Family Budget Calculator](https://www.epi.org/resources/budget/)

    *   [Minimum Wage tracker](https://www.epi.org/minimum-wage-tracker/)

[Cutting Medicaid to pay for low taxes on the rich is a terrible trade for American families](https://www.epi.org/publication/cutting-medicaid-for-low-taxes-on-the-rich-is-terrible-for-american-families/)

Low taxes for the rich and for corporations is the highest legislative priority of the Trump administration and congressional Republicans. To get there, they are willing to cut federal programs that are vital to the incomes and security of American families.

These cuts will not just cause harm to individual families. They will cascade, leading to hospital closures, higher medical debt, lower earnings, poorer health outcomes.

Nothing about this policy package—tax cuts mostly for the rich and benefit cuts for the vulnerable—is good for the vast majority of families in this country. **[Read more](https://www.epi.org/publication/cutting-medicaid-for-low-taxes-on-the-rich-is-terrible-for-american-families/#epi-toc-6)**

### Related

*   [The House Republicans’ plan to cut Medicaid to pay for tax cuts for the rich would slash incomes for the bottom 40%: Impact by state](https://www.epi.org/blog/the-house-republicans-plan-to-cut-medicaid-to-pay-for-tax-cuts-for-the-rich-would-slash-incomes-for-the-bottom-40-see-impact-by-state/)

*   [There will be pain](https://www.epi.org/publication/tcja-extensions-2025/)

*   [The era of cheap cynicism about government is over](https://www.epi.org/blog/cheap-cynicism-about-government-is-over/)

*   [Work requirements for Medicaid do not address the real barriers to work and risk throwing many into health insecurity](https://www.epi.org/blog/work-requirements-for-medicaid-do-not-address-the-real-barriers-to-work-and-risk-throwing-many-into-health-insecurity/)

[271,500 workers risked going on strike in 2024 despite inadequate protections](https://www.epi.org/publication/271500-workers-went-on-strike-in-2024-current-labor-law-doesnt-adequately-protect-workers-fundamental-right-to-strike/)

The number of workers involved in collective action should come as no surprise. The United States has been experiencing decades of high—and rising—income inequality, largely stemming from an unequal balance of power in the labor market.

Workers’ interest in unions has surged; the number of union election petitions filed at the NLRB has doubled since 2021; public support for unions has reached a 60-year high.

Yet current labor law doesn’t adequately protect workers’ right to strike. [**Read more**](https://www.epi.org/publication/271500-workers-went-on-strike-in-2024-current-labor-law-doesnt-adequately-protect-workers-fundamental-right-to-strike/)

### Related

*   [16 million workers were unionized in 2024](https://www.epi.org/publication/millions-of-workers-millions-of-workers-want-to-join-unions-but-couldnt/)

*   [The rise of the ‘union curious’](https://www.epi.org/publication/rise-of-the-union-curious/)

*   [Here are the ways the Trump administration is already trampling on workers’ rights](https://www.epi.org/blog/here-are-the-ways-the-trump-administration-is-already-trampling-on-workers-rights-weeks-into-trumps-second-term-one-thing-is-clear-billionaires-are-being-prioritized-over-working/)

*   [The public-sector pay gap is widening. Unions help shrink it.](https://www.epi.org/publication/widening-public-sector-pay-gap/)

*   [Corporate union busting in plain sight](https://www.epi.org/publication/corporate-union-busting/)

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### [Latest Research](https://www.epi.org/publications/)

*   #### [Why is President Trump attacking the Postal Service?: Your questions answered](https://www.epi.org/publication/president-trump-attacks-the-postal-service-your-questions-answered/)

    March 10, 2025 By [Monique Morrissey](https://www.epi.org/people/monique-morrissey/) [Fact Sheet](https://www.epi.org/types/fact-sheet/)

*   #### [Domestic workers’ pay and working conditions in the South reflect racist, gendered notions of care: Rooted in Racism and Economic Exploitation: Spotlight](https://www.epi.org/publication/domestic-workers-pay-and-working-conditions-in-the-south-reflect-racist-gendered-notions-of-care-rooted-in-racism-and-economic-exploitation-spotlight/)

    March 6, 2025 By [Sebastian Martinez Hickey](https://www.epi.org/people/sebastian-hickey/) and [Nina Mast](https://www.epi.org/people/nina-mast/) [Report](https://www.epi.org/types/report/)

*   #### [Cutting Medicaid to pay for low taxes on the rich is a terrible trade for American families](https://www.epi.org/publication/cutting-medicaid-for-low-taxes-on-the-rich-is-terrible-for-american-families/)

    February 28, 2025 By [Josh Bivens](https://www.epi.org/people/josh-bivens/), [Hilary Wething](https://www.epi.org/people/hilary-wething/), and [Monique Morrissey](https://www.epi.org/people/monique-morrissey/) [Report](https://www.epi.org/types/report/)

*   #### [It’s time for Colorado to remove barriers to unionization: Outdated “second election” rule is rooted in anti-worker, white supremacist history](https://www.epi.org/publication/co-union-law/)

    February 27, 2025 By [Jennifer Sherer](https://www.epi.org/people/jennifer-sherer/) and [Elise Gould](https://www.epi.org/people/elise-gould/) [Report](https://www.epi.org/types/report/)

*   #### [271,500 workers went on strike in 2024: Current labor law doesn’t adequately protect workers’ fundamental right to strike](https://www.epi.org/publication/271500-workers-went-on-strike-in-2024-current-labor-law-doesnt-adequately-protect-workers-fundamental-right-to-strike/)

    February 20, 2025 By [Margaret Poydock](https://www.epi.org/people/margaret-poydock/), [Joe Fast](https://www.epi.org/people/joe-fast/), and [Daniel Perez](https://www.epi.org/people/daniel-perez/) [Report](https://www.epi.org/types/report/)

[View all publications](https://www.epi.org/publications/)

### [Blog](https://www.epi.org/blog/)

*   #### [Trump administration is gutting the National Center for Education Statistics: Here are five things we only know about schools thanks to the NCES](https://www.epi.org/blog/trump-administration-is-gutting-the-national-center-for-education-statistics-here-are-five-things-we-only-know-about-schools-thanks-to-the-nces/)

    March 13, 2025 By [Dave Kamper](https://www.epi.org/people/dave-kamper/) [Blog](https://www.epi.org/types/blog/)

*   #### [The right wing has always had an asymmetric power to destroy—DOGE makes it much worse](https://www.epi.org/blog/doge-power-to-destroy/)

    March 13, 2025 By [Josh Bivens](https://www.epi.org/people/josh-bivens/) [Blog](https://www.epi.org/types/blog/)

*   #### [No tax on overtime is another gimmick that would do more harm than good](https://www.epi.org/blog/no-tax-on-overtime-is-another-gimmick-that-would-do-more-harm-than-good/)

    March 13, 2025 By [David Cooper](https://www.epi.org/people/david-cooper/) and [Nina Mast](https://www.epi.org/people/nina-mast/) [Blog](https://www.epi.org/types/blog/)

*   #### [The macroeconomics of the Trump administration: Chaotic and harmful policies will make the United States poorer—either rapidly or gradually](https://www.epi.org/blog/the-macroeconomics-of-the-trump-administration-chaotic-and-harmful-policies-will-make-the-united-states-poorer-either-rapidly-or-gradually/)

    March 12, 2025 By [Josh Bivens](https://www.epi.org/people/josh-bivens/) [Blog](https://www.epi.org/types/blog/)

*   #### [Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey could signal warning signs ahead: Lower hires rate more concerning with layoffs on the horizon](https://www.epi.org/blog/job-openings-and-labor-turnover-survey-could-signal-warning-signs-ahead-lower-hires-rate-more-concerning-with-layoffs-on-the-horizon/)

    March 11, 2025 By [EPI Staff](https://www.epi.org/people/epi-staff/) [Blog](https://www.epi.org/types/blog/)

*   #### [A strong Department of Education is critical to public schools](https://www.epi.org/blog/a-strong-department-of-education-is-critical-to-public-schools/)

    March 10, 2025 By [Hilary Wething](https://www.epi.org/people/hilary-wething/) [Blog](https://www.epi.org/types/blog/)

*   #### [Trump’s federal workforce cuts jeopardize the careers of nearly 900,000 veterans and veteran or military spouses: Cuts to federal employment will affect veterans in every state](https://www.epi.org/blog/trumps-federal-workforce-cuts-jeopardize-the-careers-of-nearly-900000-veterans-and-veteran-or-military-spouses/)

    March 7, 2025 By [Ben Zipperer](https://www.epi.org/people/ben-zipperer/) [Blog](https://www.epi.org/types/blog/)

[Visit the blog](https://www.epi.org/blog/)

### EPI in the news

*   [The last time we shrank the federal workforce](https://www.npr.org/transcripts/1237991516)

    This episode of Planet Money was produced and also reported a little bit by Willa Rubin. It was edited by Jess Jiang and engineered by Jimmy Keeley, with fact-checking help from Sierra Juarez. Alex Goldmark is our executive producer. We also want to give a special thanks to Ben Zipperer at the Economic Policy Institute. He also really helped us understand who the federal workforce is. I’m Sarah Gonzalez.

    NPR Planet Money | March 14, 2025

*   [A duty to work – and to be treated fairly](https://catholicmessenger.net/2025/03/a-duty-to-work-and-to-be-treated-fairly/)

    Federal employees “underpin every part of our economy and public safety,” Jennifer Sherer of the Economic Policy Institute and one of the rally’s speakers told The Catholic Messenger. 

    Catholic Messenger | March 14, 2025

*   [URBAN AGENDA: Cruel GOP Medicaid Cuts Dire for All New Yorkers](https://amsterdamnews.com/news/2025/03/13/urban-agenda-cruel-gop-medicaid-cuts-dire-for-all-new-yorkers/)

    Medicaid covers more than 50 percent of children in small towns and rural areas in six states: Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, New Mexico, and South Carolina, according to the Economic Policy Institute,

    New York Amsterdam News | March 14, 2025

*   [Senate Finance Committee meets with White House on tax cuts](https://thehill.com/newsletters/business-economy/5194163-sp-slides-into-correction/)

    “The most damaging way to finance TCJA extensions would be with spending cuts for programs like SNAP or Medicaid,” Josh Bivens, chief economist at the Economic Policy Institute, a left-leaning Washington think tank, wrote in a February analysis.

    The Hill | March 14, 2025

*   [Musk’s never been more powerful so why are Tesla shares tanking?](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/3/14/musks-never-been-more-powerful-so-why-are-tesla-shares-tanking)

    Despite performing well following the November presidential election in the US, Tesla’s stock was volatile during 2024 overall and has declined sharply since the start of this year. Robert Scott, a specialist in international economics and trade policy at the US-based Economic Policy Institute, said a fall in the share price was inevitable due to its “extreme overvaluation”.

    “Tesla’s stock was highly overvalued, with one of the highest price-to-earnings ratios ever recorded,” Scott told Al Jazeera. This means the price of the stock was very high compared with the profits the company was generating. “This indicates that the stock price was inflated relative to market fundamentals.”

    Al Jazeera | March 14, 2025

*   [608 federal workers have filed for unemployment in Colorado — so far — as Trump cuts continue](https://coloradosun.com/2025/03/14/federal-workers-unemployment-colorado/)

    The federal government employs about 57,000 people in Colorado. States harder hit by the federal layoffs are near Washington, D.C., including Virginia, with 235,469 workers; Maryland, with 225,403 workers; and California, with 255,642. according to [an analysis](https://www.epi.org/research/federal-workers/) by the Economic Policy Institute. 

    Colorado Sun | March 14, 2025

*   [The Calm Before the Storm? The Pitch: Economic Update for March 13th, 2025](https://medium.com/civic-skunk-works/the-calm-before-the-storm-2f2b404ba1c0)

    Heidi Shierholz, the president of the Economic Policy Institute, added some context to Gould’s observations: “We will start seeing the real impact of federal worker layoffs next month,” she [wrote on Bluesky](https://bsky.app/profile/hshierholz.bsky.social/post/3ljs64plmzs2n). These impacts will show up “not only \[in\] reducing overall employment but undermining essential public services, making communities less safe, less healthy, and less economically stable.”

    Civic Ventures | March 14, 2025

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Explores and explains how race, ethnicity, and class intersect to affect economic outcomes in the US. [Meet P.R.E.E.](https://www.epi.org/research/race-and-ethnicity/)

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