Layoffs remain low despite anecdotal evidence. If layoffs begin rising while the hires rate remained depressed, it could mean unemployment spikes. But, as of yet, those concerns are not realized and upticks in certain industries seem to have been a blip in prior months and were not sustained.

The hires rate ticked up slightly in June, but remains on par with much weaker labor market conditions. At 3.4%, the hires rate more closely resembles the labor market in 2013 when the unemployment rate was over 7%—it's now 4.2%. It's difficult for unemployed workers to break into the labor market.

The BLS reports mostly little or unchanged metrics in the latest #JOLTS report for June. After a weaker than expected jobs report for June, today's slightly softer job openings numbers as well as unchanged numbers of hires, quits, and layoffs are not surprising. bsky.app/profile/elis...

Elise Gould@elisegould.bsky.social · last mo.

Today's jobs report came in weaker than expected. The economy added 57k jobs in June and prior months were revised down. April and May are a combined 74k lower than previously reported. Analysts believe the World Cup added 40k to June numbers—without that, job growth would have been 17k. #EconSky

Decades of historical and ongoing discrimination have greatly limited the economic outcomes of Black households, who in turn face the brunt of the District’s enduring affordability crisis. Read more in our latest blog: https://loom.ly/tttZkiY

Three Out of Five Black Residents Can’t Afford DC | DC Fiscal Policy Institute

The perennial conversation around affordability in DC stems not just from high prices, but also from household incomes that are insufficient to cover costs—a situation that is particularly acute for Black households.

dcfpi.org

Together, we can put New Mexico's children first. Join the conversation at one of our free events. Register today ➡️ https://ow.ly/rXG150ZvWyH

It's back to school season! Hurdles for students and families of students include access to housing, health care, and limited options for child care. Learn about these and other issues here: https://www.montanabudget.org/all-reports

Most North Carolina households will receive less than $170 from the personal income tax cut next year. Meanwhile, the richest 1 percent can expect an average tax cut exceeding $7,000. ncbudget.org/north-c... #ncpol #ncga

North Carolina’s tax cuts will cost $900 million. Here is what families lose. - NC Budget & Tax Center

After leaving North Carolina without a comprehensive operating budget for a year, state lawmakers finally approved a spending plan for FY 2026-27. Yet, despite having ample time – and broad public support across party lines – to address affordability concerns, lawmakers made only modest changes to the scheduled personal income tax while preserving the continued…

ncbudget.org

Minnesota! 📣 Ever think about what the $4.4 billion of federal taxpayer dollars spent on mass deportations could buy instead? We did. Wednesday, we're launching a tool that shows the economic tradeoffs of Trump's immigration + deportation assault on our communities. Get a peek here 👇

The cost of mass deportations in states like Minnesota—and what federal tax dollars could be funding instead

This week, EPI will release a new tool showing the cost of mass deportations to taxpayers in every U.S. city, county, and state. For the first time, the actual economic tradeoffs imposed on all taxpay...

epi.org

The wage gap for Black women compared to non-Hispanic white men is 65 cents for full-time, year-round workers. Learn more about pay disparities for Women of Color in our status of women report: https://www.montanabudget.org/post/status-women-2026

Are you needing to appeal a decision made on your eligibility for SNAP or Medicaid benefits? Check out this amazing guidebook made by our friends at the Indiana Justice Project! [This is information only not legal advice] www.canva.com/design/DAGzz...

2.0 Guide for SNAP/Medicaid Appeals 2025

Check out this US Letter designed by Natalia Machicote.

canva.com

Have you spotted us out in the wild yet, NC? Our staff attends festivals, markets, conferences, and other great community events all across our state. We want to make tax and budget policies accessible to you, and what better way to do that than tabling at an event near you?

New @epi.org data through 2026 Q1: workers are nearly twice as productive as they were in 1979, but their pay hasn't come close to keeping up. That divergence, redistributed to profits and executives, has cost a full-time median-wage worker over $23,000 a year

Every person in every community deserves what they need to thrive. Virginia's new two-year budget takes real steps toward racial equity. However, barriers remain and progress continues. bit.ly/2026-budget-racial-equity

Building Opportunity: A Racial Equity Analysis of Virginia’s 2026 Budget Choices - The Commonwealth Institute

Every person in every community deserves to have what they need to thrive. Yet historic and ongoing discrimination has created barriers that continue to limit opportunity for many Black and Latino peo...

bit.ly

Class is in session 📚 lets dig into WA’s historic new #MillionairesTax Learn more: budgetandpolicy.org/a-look-at-th...

Last year four Maine hospitals were identified as at risk of closing due to HR 1. If these hospitals closed, Aroostook County would lose $113.6 million in wages, Hancock County $55.3 million, and Washington County $15.8 million. #mepolitics www.mecep.org/blog/medicai...

Medicaid cuts put rural hospitals and economies at risk - MECEP

If these hospitals closed, Aroostook County would lose $113.6 million in wages, Hancock County $55.3 million, and Washington County $15.8 million.

mecep.org

Oregon needs a safety net that is unconditional, not one that forces families to jump through hoops to prove they deserve help. Yesterday dozens of partners joined us in a packed room and online to strategize around how to grow the movement for guaranteed income.

Today, July 30, marks the 61st anniversary of the legislation that created Medicare and Medicaid. More than six decades later, these programs continue to provide health coverage for hundreds of thousands of Granite Staters. 🔗 Learn more: buff.ly/gUoTbat #NHPolitics

Congress has long underfunded worker protection agencies. The 2027 Republican budget—if enacted—would deepen the damage by slashing funding for the Department of Labor and National Labor Relations Board. These cuts would leave workers more vulnerable to exploitation.

Congress has long underfunded worker protection agencies. The Republican budget would deepen the damage.

On June 9, the Republican majority on the U.S. House Appropriations Committee approved a 2027 budget that slashes funding for worker protection agencies. The bill includes a combined $71.9 million cut...

epi.org

This Day in Labor History: July 29, 1987. Jobs with Justice was created in Miami at the AFL-CIO convention. It had inconsistent results, though still exists today, but at its best, JWJ can do amazing work creating necessary coalitions between labor and community groups. Let's talk about it!

🤫 Oregon’s top 1 percent of earners actually pay a smaller share of their income in taxes than Oregon’s lowest 20 percent). We want to pass a millionaire tax in Oregon to end this inequality! Read more: https://bit.ly/4vpHaVw #taxtherich #millionairetax #taxinequality #oregon @itep @epi.org

Unions are instrumental to protecting quality public education. States with higher levels of unionization are less likely to have universal voucher programs, which divert money away from public schools toward private schools and homeschooling. www.epi.org/blog/unions-...

Post #1: What would the U.S. look like if we tripled union membership? Our new report shows it could mean: 👉 Higher wages 👉 A stronger democracy 👉 Better educational opportunities States with a higher share of union workers invest more in public schools.

Unions are key to high-quality public education

Our recent report asks a bold question: What would the United States look like if we tripled union membership? We find a range of economic and social benefits—such as higher wages, greater access to h...

epi.org

"From advocating for enough funding for high-quality education to defending against education privatization, unions support our nation’s commitment to universal public education. This not only improves students’ academic achievement, but also their economic outcomes well into adulthood." @epi.org

Unions are key to high-quality public education

Our recent report asks a bold question: What would the United States look like if we tripled union membership? We find a range of economic and social benefits—such as higher wages, greater access to h...

epi.org

Sectoral bargaining curious? @epi.org's got you. www.epi.org/publication/...

Sectoral bargaining FAQ: Collective bargaining, sectoral wage and standards boards, and worker power

A note about terminology Topics covered in this FAQ often involve specialized uses of language, reflecting both legally defined concepts and/ or “terms of art” typically used by practitioners. For def...

epi.org

Using trade policy to help reduce abusive labor practices abroad is serious business - but today's proposal from the admin is as unserious as the rest of their trade policy. For a sketch of how to treat this responsibly, see @joshbivens-econ.bsky.social & @ahecon.bsky.social 👇

The U.S. approach to globalization has gone from bad to worse under Trump: How to construct a progressive policy agenda instead

Globalization has created a challenging landscape for U.S. workers. Led by corporate interests, U.S. trade agreements from NAFTA onward have made matters worse rather than improving them. To counter t...

epi.org

This is what corporate power run amok looks like.

In a new study, @epi.org highlights the role unions play in creating wealth for working people, redistributing equity and facilitating democracy, making the case for tripling union membership nationwide. #UnionStrong is the way to go! https://bit.ly/4yzUqJ5

The case for tripling union membership: How rebuilding union power would strengthen workers, the economy, and our democracy

Foreword Imagine union membership tripling in the United States. It may sound radical—if you’ve forgotten history. In fact, more than 1 in 3 private-sector workers belonged to a union in the 1950s. Th...

epi.org

Today, the US House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform advanced H.R. 9720, D.C. Taxing Authority Review Act, on a party-line vote, which would strip DC of control over its own tax code. Read our statement: dcfpi.org/press-releas...

There’s been a lot of buzz swirling around the #MillionairesTax and we’ve got clips from a Q&A w/ @eoionline.bsky.social's Annie Kucklick + our own Mia Shigemura, as they break down the basics of this historic new policy. We kick it off with this week's question: Who will pay the Millionaires Tax?

"With groceries, and if utilities go up — it just eats at what little I have left after that," Kitchen said. #NoOn5 #NoEverythingTax www.komu.com/news/acloser...

Income vs. sales taxes: Who benefits from Missouri's Amendment 5

Missouri Amendment 5 would gradually eliminate state income taxes by giving lawmakers the ability to put and raise sales taxes on any good or service in the state.

komu.com