Report
Congress Should Heed President Biden’s Call for Fundamental UI Reform
The underfunded UI system poorly serves unemployed workers, particularly low-paid workers, women, and workers of color.
Economy
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Policy Basics
Economic growth is key to improving living standards and the quality of life across the United States.
We examine how changes in the economy affect federal and state budgets, and how federal and state budget and tax proposals would affect economic growth. We also examine trends in employment and promote reforms to strengthen the unemployment insurance system, provide more adequate federal and state minimum wages, and create policies that would lead to full employment.
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Parrott: House Takes Historic Step; Senate Should Get Build Back Better Across Finish Line Without Delay
The House vote brings us a critical step closer to delivering policy advances that help families meet everyday challenges such as paying rent and putting food on the table, affording child care and...
Parrott: New Build Back Better Framework a Historic Step Forward
The framework would represent one of the most consequential pieces of legislation in a...
Parrott: House “Build Back Better” Legislation Would Advance Economic Justice and Racial Equity
The “Build Back Better” legislation approved by House committees includes groundbreaking investments to address problems that have plagued our nation for...
Ways and Means Bill Omits UI Reform in Glaring Omission
In its most glaring omission, the economic recovery bill that the House Ways and Means Committee will consider today lacks any permanent reform to the nation’s very weak unemployment insurance (UI)...
Parrott: Senate Budget Plan Points Way Toward More Equitable Nation
The budget resolution takes an important first step toward enacting groundbreaking legislation with long overdue investments to address problems that have plagued the United States for generations....
Recent Inflation Is No Reason to Pare Back Needed Investments
Much of the recent inflation spike reflects temporary factors that, going forward, aren’t likely to significantly affect the more moderate underlying inflation...
Jobs Recovery Continued in July but Those Losing Jobs Face Weakened UI Protections
Today’s jobs numbers make June’s and July’s gains the largest since August 2020: 943,000 jobs added to private and government payrolls in July with revisions to May and June adding another...
Recovery Proposals Adopt Proven Approaches to Reducing Poverty, Increasing Social Mobility
Congress is crafting recovery legislation that has the potential to significantly reduce poverty, broaden opportunity, and increase racial equity in the United States. The investments under...
May Job Growth Strong But Unemployment Insurance Reform Still Needed
Today’s job numbers are a welcome indication that the economy is moving in the right direction, but the labor market is far from fully recovered. And, after a pandemic whose economic fallout has...