Farmworkers are essential workers who provide food to families across the country and fuel the U.S. economy with their work. As climate change exacerbates extreme events like heatwaves and wildfires, these workers face elevated health risks and even death, given these labor-intensive jobs are mostly done outdoors. Many farmworkers work through these dangerous conditions for very little pay. Democrats in Congress and the Biden-Harris administration are responding to these conditions by expanding farmworker protections around heat and mitigating wildfire risks while also supporting farmworkers' labor rights. Together, these efforts will help make sure farmworkers are safe, healthy, and able to support their families without risking their lives on the job.
Sep 09 2024
Economic Update - September 9, 2024
Wages and salaries have risen significantly throughout the United States since January 2021. Updated calculations by the JEC Democrats find that average U.S. wages and salaries grew by over $17,600 between January 2021 and July 2024, outpacing price growth during that period by nearly $4,500.
Recent global economic disruptions have underscored the need for resilient supply chains in the United States. “Nearshoring”—or bringing more production back to the U.S. or to its immediate neighbors Canada and Mexico—is one solution for addressing supply-chain vulnerabilities as proximity and integrated markets make these kinds of disruptions less likely. The United States’ North American neighbors have a large role to play in improving supply-chain reliability, increasing trade and economic output, and advancing climate objectives.
Project 2025 is a radical plan that details how a Republican administration would undercut working families by making health care and higher education less affordable; providing less support to families; and rolling back climate enforcement and research. This Republican plan would concentrate power within the executive branch, make life harder for working people, and cede power to Big Pharma and other corporations.
Aug 16 2024
State by State Data: July Employment Data
Each month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) releases national and state-level data on U.S. employment, which provide useful information about the state of the labor market and progress toward building a better America. The below map and chart created by the Joint Economic Committee highlight key trends in the most recent monthly data for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The most recent state-level data, which cover the month of July 2024, were released on August 16th, 2024. The latest national data were released on August 2nd, 2024.
Aug 08 2024
The Economic Benefits of Child Nutrition
Making sure that children have enough nutritious food to eat both improves their overall well-being and represents a vital investment in the broader economy. Good nutrition is a core part of child development, meaning that it both improves kids’ health and well-being during childhood while also supporting future academic and employment outcomes. Despite the immense importance of childhood nutrition, food insecurity is still far too high in the United States today. In light of this crisis, Democrats in Congress and the Biden-Harris administration are working to expand or make permanent important programs to support childhood and student nutrition.
Aug 07 2024
Republicans Want to Extend Tax Cuts That Benefit the Wealthy and Make Everyone Else Pay For It
All recent Republican budget plans create significant tax breaks for the ultrawealthy with offsets that harm everyone else. Extending the 2017 Republican tax cuts is expected to cost trillions of dollars over the next decade, adding $4.6 trillion to the deficit. In particular, provisions that overwhelmingly benefit the wealthy like the deduction for “pass-through businesses” and the higher estate and gift tax exemptions would respectively add $684 billion and $167 billion to the deficit over 10 years.
Project 2025 is a radical plan that details how a Republican administration would undercut the U.S. economy by hiking taxes on middle-class families, dismantling worker protections, and reversing federal investments that are keeping the U.S. economy strong. This Republican plan would concentrate power, make life harder for working people, and give handouts to wealthy corporations.
Congressional Democrats and the Biden-Harris administration have worked to lower the costs households pay for health care, energy, utilities, and transportation by passing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). These bills are already helping to put money back into the pockets of American families by lowering the cost of prescription drugs, health insurance premiums, broadband, and more.
