The State of Working America Podcast

A New Way to Think About the Minimum Wage: How high could policymakers set a national minimum wage? In partnership with the Roosevelt Institute and Oklahoma Policy Institute, Economic Policy Institute hosted this webinar that shares a new, evidence-backed framework for raising the federal minimum wage.  The webinar included Roosevelt Institute Director of Worker Power and Economic Security Patrick Oakford, Economic Policy Institute Senior Economist Ben Zipperer, Oklahoma Policy Institute’s Carly Putnam, and was hosted by Economic Policy Institute Executive Vice President Naomi Walker. Oklahoma Policy Institute is part of EPI’s Economic Analysis and Research Network, or EARN, which is a network of close to 60 state-focused research, policy, and advocacy organizations in 43 states + DC. Originally held Thursday, May 21, 2026. Learn more: Federal Employment Standards as the Foundation of Economic Security: Revisiting Minimum Wage, Just Cause, and Tools to Combat Wage Theft by Patrick Oakford  Setting high standards for a federal minimum wage by Ben Zipperer   A new way to think about the minimum wage   __________ The State of Working America Podcast is part of EPI’s effort to raise workers’ voices to ensure they are heard in the economic policy debate. Core topics include workers' rights, inequality, race, gender, labor markets, education, immigration, and social justice 
__  Economic Policy Institute 
https://www.epi.org

Public education under attack: How EPI research and tools support investment in public schools EPI’s Chief Economist, Josh Bivens; Director of EPI’s Program on Race, Ethnicity, and the Economy, Valerie Wilson; and Economist Hilary Wething, along with a special introduction by Peter Rivera from the Hewlett Foundation, discuss public education and how critical public goods are being attacked at both the state and federal levels. Fully funded and strong public schools—with fairly compensated educators—lead to a society with high achieving students and fewer teacher shortages that disrupt learning. Yet policy initiatives such as school vouchers threaten to divert resources from public education when what is needed is greater investment, not less. Originally held Thursday, May 14, 2026. Learn more: https://www.epi.org/event/public-education-under-attack-how-epi-research-and-tools-support-investment-in-public-schools/  __  The State of Working America Podcast is part of EPI’s effort to raise workers’ voices to ensure they are heard in the economic policy debate. Core topics include workers' rights, inequality, race, gender, labor markets, education, immigration, and social justice 
__  Economic Policy Institute 
https://www.epi.org

AI—Making Employee Disempowerment New Again There is much panic around AI’s impact on the labor market. Efforts to blame inequality and unemployment on AI and technology divert attention from the root cause: excess employer power. The best “AI policy” to protect workers would be boosting workers’ power by improving social insurance systems, removing barriers to organizing unions, and sustaining lower rates of unemployment. Economic Policy Institute’s Chief Economist Josh Bivens and Senior Economist Ben Zipperer joined Director of Government & Advocacy Samantha Sanders in a conversation on how policymakers should respond to the rise of AI. Originally held Thursday, May 7, 2026. Learn more: https://www.epi.org/event/ai-making-employee-disempowerment-new-again/  __  The State of Working America Podcast is part of EPI’s effort to raise workers’ voices to ensure they are heard in the economic policy debate. Core topics include workers' rights, inequality, race, gender, labor markets, education, immigration, and social justice 
__  Economic Policy Institute 
https://www.epi.org