workers

A girl on a slide and her mother.

As child poverty doubles, states launch or expand their own tax credits

BY: - September 21, 2023

The federal pandemic-era child tax credit expansion lifted millions of children out of poverty in the second half of 2021. But Congress allowed it to expire at the end of that year, and new U.S. census data shows the child poverty rate more than doubled in 2022, erasing the record gains that were made. “It […]

A bike delivery worker.

States and cities eye stronger protections for gig economy workers

BY: - September 19, 2023

Joshua Wood remembers days during the COVID-19 lockdown when New York City’s streets were practically empty, save for workers like him. That experience convinced the 25-year-old Brooklynite — who makes deliveries for both Uber Eats and a package delivery service — that the gig economy needed some urgent changes. Roughly 1 in 6 American adults […]

A person walks into a Domino's Pizza.

States, cities turn to community organizations to battle wage theft 

BY: - July 7, 2023

About five years ago, most of Minneapolis’ Subway, Little Caesars and McDonald’s franchise restaurants did not comply with city wage standards. Now, workers at each of the locations that violated the law receive the required minimum wage and time off when they’re sick. This is all thanks to a co-enforcement program, where the city’s labor […]

Workers at a power plant in Houston in 2022.

Workers are less productive in key states. What it means for the economy.

BY: - June 6, 2023

U.S. worker productivity has dropped significantly, including in key large states, leaving some economists alarmed by the decrease in a measure that could mean trillions of dollars to the economy. Labor productivity — the value of the goods and services produced on average by an hour’s work — ranged from $58.80 in Mississippi to $120.67 […]

a nurse in the emergency room at MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital in Leonardtown, Maryland.

States see record low unemployment across the US

BY: - May 30, 2023

Across much of the country, the jobs market is as strong as it’s ever been, and Black women, young people and people with disabilities are among the workers benefiting, recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data show. Twenty states reported an unemployment rate under 3% in April, while 15 states saw record lows, led by […]

Immigrants receive aid at a hotel in El Paso, Texas.

Expiration of Title 42 border rule prompts much rhetoric, less action

BY: - May 17, 2023

The end of a pandemic-era policy that allowed U.S. border authorities to quickly turn back some migrants has prompted a mixed reaction from state and local governments, including new restrictions on immigrant workers, beefed up border enforcement and entreaties for more federal help. But unlike the 2010s, when conservative states such as Alabama, Arizona and […]