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A note from EPI's Kirstyn Flood: As the concern around COVID-19 heightens, EPI is providing analysis and practical policy solutions to address the economic impact on workers and their families.
There are endless questions for workers. Many wonder whether they can afford to stay home and seek medical care if they become infected, whether their health insurance covers getting tested, and whether their small business will survive during and after the crisis. If the coronavirus has taught us anything, it’s that the health of our economy is dependent on the health of the public. Many policymakers want to take action and mitigate the economic fallout, but what makes real economic sense?
EPI’s economists weigh in on the best path ahead—and shed light on the debate over expanding health care coverage.
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Unconditional tax cuts for employers are a terrible policy response to the economic fallout of COVID-19. But employer tax credits that are tied to the provision of specific benefits for workers can be a useful way to deliver emergency help. In the long run, key benefits like paid sick leave and strong unemployment insurance should not rest on employer tax credits, but these credits might be the best way to deliver emergency benefits right now. Read the blog post »
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Trump's payroll tax cuts are a terrible opening bid to address the economic fallout of COVID-19
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With the stock market plummeting and concern around COVID-19 (commonly known as the coronavirus) escalating, it is time to get serious about the economic policy response. Policymakers and the public will need help in distinguishing between smart responses and ideologically opportunistic responses such as calls for cuts in taxes and regulations. Read the blog post »
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The United States is unprepared for the COVID-19 pandemic given that many workers throughout the economy will have financial difficulty in following the CDC’s recommendations to stay home and seek medical care if they think they’ve become infected. Millions of U.S. workers and their families don’t have access to health insurance, and only 30% of the lowest-paid workers have the ability to earn paid sick days—workers who typically have lots of contact with the public and aren’t able to work from home. Read the blog post »
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“I keep my surfaces as clean as possible, wipe down tables every day, and use sanitizer, but it becomes an expense, because the district doesn’t give us wipes or sanitizer for our classrooms,” Kristin Luebbert, a teacher at the U School in North Philadelphia, recently told The Philadelphia Inquirer. “It’s just a worry—what’s the plan and how are we going to be safe?” Read the blog post »
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The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the vast inequalities in the United States between those who can more easily follow the Center for Disease Control’s recommendation to stay home and seek medical attention when needed and those who cannot. High-wage earners are more likely to be able to stay home and have health insurance to seek medical care than low-wage earners. And, those in certain sectors—e.g. information and financial activities—are more likely to have paid sick days or can work from home than those in other sectors—e.g. leisure and hospitality. COVID-19 also sheds light on another difference in economic security and access to medical care among workers: the benefits to being in a union. Read the blog post »
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A new report from EPI Research Director Josh Bivens finds that Medicare for All would bolster the labor market and strengthen economic security for millions of U.S. households, and would likely boost the number of jobs in the U.S. labor market. Read the report »
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There’s a lot of misleading rhetoric out there about how providing “Medicare for All” (M4A) could destroy the economy or lead to ruinous tax increases. But one bright spot was HBO host John Oliver’s monologue on the plan that went viral last month. Read the blog post »
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The fire is upon us. By now, the SARS-CoV-2 virus is either established or making itself at home in communities across the United States. Read more »
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There are now more than 1,100 identified coronavirus cases in the US, up from 500 just a couple of days ago. Read more »
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Shelly Hughes says three things are required to do her job: a strong back, a strong stomach and a big heart. Read more »
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DURHAM, N.C. — She had been riding the city bus almost every day for the past decade without paying much attention to the people around her. Read more »
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COVID-19’s economic impact: Cutting through the noise
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