Employment Policies Institute
{{short description|Non-profit American think tank founded in 1991}}
{{hatnote|Employment Policies Institute should not be confused with the older, similarly named Economic Policy Institute, a liberal think tank advocating for low to moderate-income families in the United States. }}
{{use American English|date=August 2024}}
{{use mdy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox organization
|name = Employment Policies Institute
|abbreviation = EPI
|formation = {{start date and age|1991}}
|type = Think tank
|headquarters = Washington, D.C., United States
| parent_organization = Berman and Company
| revenue_year = 2013
| expenses_year = 2013
|website = {{URL|http://epionline.org/}}
}}
The Employment Policies Institute is a fiscally conservative, non-profit American think tank that conducts and publishes research on employment issues, particularly aimed towards reducing the minimum wage. It was established in 1991 by Richard Berman,{{cite web|url=http://epionline.org/aboutepi.cfm|work=Employment Policies Institute|title=About The Employment Policies Institute|access-date=2010-08-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100922025036/http://epionline.org/aboutepi.cfm|archive-date=2010-09-22|url-status=dead}} and it has been described as "a nonprofit research group that studies issues of entry-level employment."{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/09/business/09teens.html?scp=1&sq=ample+jobs+but+youths+are+choosy&st=nyt | work=New York Times | title=Ample Jobs, but Youths Are Choosy | date=June 9, 2007 | first=Barbara | last=Whitaker}}
Employment Policies Institute does not have its own employees or office, but rather its staff work for Berman and Company, which is a public affairs firm owned by Richard Berman, who lobbies for the restaurant, hotel, alcoholic beverage and tobacco industries.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/10/us/politics/fight-over-minimum-wage-illustrates-web-of-industry-ties.html|title=Fight Over Minimum Wage Illustrates Web of Industry Ties|last=Lipton|first=Eric|date=February 9, 2014|work=The New York Times|access-date=2018-11-25|language=en}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.salon.com/2013/11/13/corporate_americas_new_scam_industry_p_r_firm_poses_as_think_tank/|title=Corporate America's new scam: Industry P.R. firm poses as think tank!|last=Graves|first=Lisa|date=2013-11-13|work=Salon|access-date=2018-11-25|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2012-11-02/union-busting-by-profiting-from-non-profit-may-breach-irs|title=Union Busting by Profiting From Non-Profit May Breach IRS|last=Mark Drajem|first=Brian Wingfield|date=November 1, 2012|newspaper=Bloomberg.com|access-date=2018-11-25}} The charity evaluator Charity Navigator has issued a donor advisory concerning The Employment Policies Institute.{{Cite web|url=http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=13373|title=Employment Policies Institute Foundation | Rating by Charity Navigator}}
Issues
The Employment Policies Institute has released a number of studies{{cite news | url=https://www.tampabay.com/news/health/article1015741.ece | work=St. Petersburg Times | title=Millions Decide to Go Without Health Insurance Coverage | date=July 4, 2009}}{{cite news | url=http://www.allbusiness.com/population-demographics/demographic-trends/14055016-1.html |work=Inland Valley Daily Bulletin | title=Economists Say Hike in Teen Unemployment Rate Related to Minimum Wage Increase | date=March 5, 2010}} that look at the economic effects of policies (like the minimum wage, health care mandates, and employment tax credits) on low-wage labor markets. It also regularly analyzes job market data in the United States{{cite news | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-jun-29-la-fi-teen-jobs-20100628-story.html | work=Los Angeles Times | title=Summer Job Market Cold for Teens | date=June 29, 2010 | first=Shan | last=Li}}{{cite news | url=http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2010/07/05/daily15.html | work=Portland Business Journal | title=Summer jobs for teens down 38 percent | date=July 7, 2010 | first=Jeff | last=Clabaugh}} Typically, studies are contracted by university economists and published under its name.{{cite web | url=http://economics.truman.edu/ThinkTanks.asp | work=Truman State University | title=Think Tanks | accessdate=August 24, 2010}} In 2009, The Employment Policies Institute launched a campaign, Defeat The Debt, focusing on the national debt.{{cite news|url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/group-launches-campaign-to-raise-awareness-about-soaring-national-debt/|title=Group Launches Campaign to Raise Awareness About Soaring National Debt|work=Fox News|date=September 2, 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090905065648/https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/09/02/group-launches-campaign-raise-awareness-soaring-national-debt/|archive-date=September 5, 2009}}
=Minimum wage=
The Employment Policies Institute argues that increases to the minimum wage also increase unemployment among groups of workers like teens and less-educated and unskilled workers.{{cite news | url=https://blogs.forbes.com/moneybuilder/2010/02/24/seniors-pushing-young-adults-out-of-the-workforce/?boxes=Homepagechannels | work=Forbes | title=Seniors Pushing Young Adults Out of the Workforce | date=February 24, 2010}} Economists have varied views on the impact of minimum wage laws. It weighed in when David Card and Alan Krueger concluded that a 1992 minimum wage hike in New Jersey did not decrease employment in the state. Card and Krueger surveyed fast food employers in New Jersey before and after an April 1992 increase in the state minimum wage (from $4.25 to $5.05 per hour) and found a slight increase in employment.Minimum wage#Card and Krueger Critics of the analysis, including The Employment Policies Institute,{{cite news | url=http://www.csmonitor.com/1996/0126/26092.html | work=Christian Science Monitor | title=Policy Wonks Go to Battle Over Minimum Wage | date=January 26, 1996}} noted that because Card and Krueger's research was based on informal headcounts acquired through telephone surveys, it could not be easily replicated.{{cite web | url=http://www.cato.org/pubs/journal/cj15n1-8.html | work=The Cato Journal Book Review | title=Myth and Measurement: The New Economics of the Minimum Wage | accessdate=August 24, 2010}} Subsequent analysis of these restaurants' payroll data records found that employment actually decreased by 4.6 percent after the minimum wage hike, and The Employment Policies Institute's findings were later verified by independent economists.{{cite journal |last1=Neumark |first1=David |first2=William |last2=Wascher |title=Minimum Wages and Employment: A Case Study of the Fast-Food Industry in New Jersey and Pennsylvania: Comment |journal=American Economic Review |year=2000 |volume=90 |issue=5 |pages=1362–1396 |doi=10.1257/aer.90.5.1362 }} This result would mean that the total amount of wages paid to minimum wage employees in the fast food industry in New Jersey increased 13.4 percent as a result of the increase in the minimum wage (employment declined 4.6 percent, but the minimum wage increased 18.8 percent, for a total change in wages paid of 13.4 percent).
In 2000, Card and Krueger redid their study using a data set from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and reproduced their earlier conclusions.{{Cite journal |last1=Card |first1=David |last2=Krueger |first2=Alan B. |title=Minimum Wages And Employment: A Case Study Of The Fast-Food Industry In New Jersey And Pennsylvania: Reply |journal=American Economic Review |year=2000 |volume=90 |issue=5 |pages=1397–1420 |doi=10.1257/aer.90.5.1397 |s2cid=1140202 }} They also showed that Neumark and Wascher's results were due to a non-random biased sample of restaurants. In the time since the Card–Krueger study was released, many economists have tried to look at the effects of minimum wage increases on employment prospects. A 2006 review by Neumark and Wascher of over 100 studies on the minimum wage concluded that the general consensus view agreed that wage increases hurt employment opportunities for youths.{{cite journal |first1=David |last1=Neumark |first2=William |last2=Wascher |title=Minimum Wages and Employment: A Review of Evidence from the New Minimum Wage Research |journal=NBER Working Paper No. 12663 |date=November 2006 |doi=10.3386/w12663 |doi-access=free }} In 2014, they took out billboards in San Francisco telling workers they will be replaced by iPads if they ask for a living wage.{{Cite web|date=2014-07-17|title=New San Francisco billboard warns workers they'll be replaced by iPads if they demand a fair wage|url=https://pando.com/2014/07/17/new-san-francisco-billboard-warns-workers-theyll-be-replaced-by-ipads-if-they-demand-a-fair-wage/|access-date=2020-12-12|website=Pando|language=en-gb}}
Staff and management
Michael Saltsman has been identified on a number of occasions as The Employment Policies Institute research director.{{Cite web|url=http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/insight/2014/02/16/industries-unions-fund-nonprofits-studies-to-aid-lobbying.html|title = Industries, unions fund nonprofits' studies to aid lobbying}} Samantha Summers is the nonprofits communications director.{{Cite news|url=https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/commentary-no-longer-the-season-for-seasonal-workeers/|title=Commentary: No longer the season for seasonal workeers? {{!}} HeraldNet.com|date=2018-12-02|work=HeraldNet.com|access-date=2018-12-02|language=en-US}}
Campaigns
=National debt=
Defeat The Debt is a project of The Employment Policies Institute that is focused on the national debt and was launched towards the end of 2009.
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://epionline.org/ Employment Policies Institute]
- [http://www.defeatthedebt.com/ Defeat The Debt]
- [http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Employment_Policies_Institute SourceWatch profile]
{{Authority control}}
Category:1991 establishments in Washington, D.C.
Category:Political and economic think tanks in the United States