EPI Research (Page 19 )

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  Where the Jobs Aren’t: Local Unemployment Spreads

  July 2003

  As the economic downturn of 2002 progressed, more local communities across the country slid into persistent unemployment. Unemployment rose in hundreds of counties and cities, with unemployment rates ranging from 9% to 25%. As the American economy continues to limp towards recovery, residents in these most depressed areas will be particularly hard hit by unemployment.

  This study identifies 397 cities, counties, and metropolitan statistical…

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  The Real ACORN: Anti-Employee, Anti-Union, Big Business

  May 2003

  “No man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to himself, and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be the true.”
  
  — Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter

  Introduction
  On March 27, 2003 the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) lost its final appeal of a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruling, which found…

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  Indexing the Minimum Wage: A Vise on Entry-Level Wages

  March 2003

  Indexing the minimum wage is a rising trend at the state and local levels. Whether through a ballot initiative, as in Washington and Oregon, or state legislature, as was the case in Alaska, efforts have increased in the recent years to tie minimum wage increases to specific economic indicators such as the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

  Washington, Oregon, and Alaska all have minimum wages exceeding…

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  The Effects of the Proposed Santa Fe Minimum Wage Increase

  February 2003

  On February 27, 2002, Santa Fe, New Mexico passed a “living wage” law that applied to most city employees and city contractors. Including Santa Fe there are now more than 90 living wage ordinances across the country, and at least 100 campaigns currently underway. Living wage advocates press for larger and more inclusive living wage laws requiring employers to pay according to the perceived needs…

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  Living Wage and Earned Income Tax Credit: A Comparative Analysis

  January 2003

  Living wage ordinances have spread rapidly since 1994 when Baltimore opened the modern era of high-wage mandates. As of June 2002, 82 cities had adopted a living wage law in some form. However, the efficiency of these laws is still under scrutiny. If the main goal is to provide additional income to families, are living wage laws the best means to reach that goal? This…

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  The Economic and Distributional Consequences of the Santa Monica Minimum Wage Ordinance

  October 2002

  In July 2001, the Santa Monica City Council adopted an Ordinance unlike any other economic regulation ever enacted in the United States. The Ordinance designates a Coastal Zone—the most famous and most tourist-visited section of the City—within which businesses with over $5 million in annual revenue are required to pay a very high minimum wage.(1) After a short phase-in period, the minimum wage and associated…