EPI in the news

• Jefferson County school districts seeking more bus drivers

  In August 2019, there were more than 223,000 U.S. school bus drivers, according to the Economic Policy Institute. The research group reported in August 2025 that there were only 202,000 drivers, a 9.5 percent decrease.

  My Leader Paper (Missouri) | August 7, 2026
• Not reporting on hunger won’t make it disappear

  The Economic Policy Institute, a not-for-profit, nonpartisan think tank funded by foundation grants and labor unions, published a paper in 2025 that found, “More stringent work requirements in the past have failed to boost work in significant ways because they don’t attack the core problems of weak economic conditions or the irregular and unpredictable scheduling practices of low-wage jobs. Instead, requirements increase administrative burdens for adults seeking needed benefits.”

  Altamont Enterprise | August 7, 2026
• Trickle-Down Is Running Out of Gas
  • The Economic Policy Institute looked at the amount of taxpayer money — $4.4 billion — that’s currently being spent on forced deportations in Minnesota and explained what that money could have done for the people of Minnesota instead. The state could have hired 14,000 full-time teachers, kept 130,000 more rural Minnesotans on health insurance, fed every single hungry family in the state, or given every household a $2000 tax refund.
  Civic Ventures | August 7, 2026
• Report: Mass Deportations Cost $2,358 per Taxpayer

  American taxpayers would pay about $2,358 each to fund President Donald Trump’s mass deportation effort, according to a new calculator released by the Economic Policy Institute.

  Newsmax | August 7, 2026
• Report: Trump’s Deportation Efforts Could Cost Taxpayers an Average of $2,358

  A report from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) (Left bias) approximated President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown through deportations will cost American taxpayers an average of $2,358 throughout the course of his presidency. AllSides did not find coverage from the right of EPI’s report outside of Newsmax (Right). However, right-leaning outlets heavily covered other elements of immigration news, such as the record levels of ICE arrests in 2026.

  All Sides | August 7, 2026
• Chocolate City Under Trump: A Fight for Identity, Power and Place in DC

  According to the Economic Policy Institute, Mass federal workforce firings, uncertainty around government contracts and tourism disruptions have rippled through Washington’s economy. 

  The Root | August 7, 2026
• Black Adults Report Greater Financial Strain Under Current Presidential Administration, With College-Educated Adults Hit Hardest

  Ismael Cid-Martinez, an economist with the Economic Policy Institute’s Program on Race, Ethnicity, and the Economy, noted in a blog post, “The Trump-Vance administration inherited a strong labor market with record employment and wage gains.”

  However, after a year of what he calls “economic mismanagement,” Cid-Martinez suggests the survey is proof that workers are no longer confident in the job market and are worried about affordability.

  Additionally, 73% of respondents said they were “doing okay financially” or “living comfortably” in 2025. However, there were “meaningful declines” when considering particular demographics such as low-income, young, and Black adults, according to the blog.

  Specifically among Black adults, financial well-being declined nearly 5 percentage points to 60%, down from 68% in 2023 and marking the lowest level since 2015.

  Afrotech | August 7, 2026

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