EPI Research (Page 2)

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  The Real ACORN: Anti-Employee, Anti-Union, Big-Business

  September 2005

  Since it took root in 1970, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) has been criticized for its fraud, deception, and radical political agenda. It has been implicated in Teamsters election fraud, government-grant fraud, union busting, and it has sought an exemption from the very minimum wage laws it tries to force on everyone else. This update to the Employment Policies Institute’s May[…]
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  Effective Tax Rates and the Living Wage

  May 2005

  Executive Summary Over the past decade, more than 110 ordinances have been passed mandating “living wages” for employees in businesses contracting with a locality and/or receiving financial assistance through tax breaks or economic development grants. The wage rates set by these ordinances often exceed the federal minimum wage by 150–200 percent. These original laws—which applied to very few businesses— had a limited effect on the overall economy of a city. Over the past year, however, these[…]
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  Living Wage and Earned Income Tax Credit: A Comparative Analysis

  January 2003

  Living wage ordinances have spread rapidly since 1994 when Baltimore opened the modern era of high-wage mandates. As of June 2002, 82 cities had adopted a living wage law in some form. However, the efficiency of these laws is still under scrutiny. If the main goal is to provide additional income to families, are living wage laws the best means to reach that goal? This[…]
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  The Economic and Distributional Consequences of the Santa Monica Minimum Wage Ordinance

  October 2002

  In July 2001, the Santa Monica City Council adopted an Ordinance unlike any other economic regulation ever enacted in the United States. The Ordinance designates a Coastal Zone—the most famous and most tourist-visited section of the City—within which businesses with over $5 million in annual revenue are required to pay a very high minimum wage.(1) After a short phase-in period, the minimum wage and associated[…]
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  The Employment Impact of a Comprehensive Living Wage Law, Evidence from Florida

  June 2002

  With financial support from trade unions, liberal foundations and social activist groups, the self-styled “living wage movement” has been pressing state and local governments to require employers to pay high entry-level wages regardless of skill or ability. The philosophy behind the living wage laws is that the government should require employers to pay workers according to their need, not according to their productivity. This is[…]
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  The Effects of the Proposed California Minimum Wage Increase

  June 2002

  “Living wage” laws, which require employers to pay high, entry-level wages, regardless of skill or productivity, are spreading rapidly among local governments across the country. The philosophy behind the living wage laws is that the government should require employers to pay workers according to their need, not according to their productivity. However, these laws require that an employer pay all of its employees a minimum[…]