The Center for Economic and Policy Research

The Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) promotes democratic debate on the most important economic and social issues that affect people's lives.

CEPR is committed to presenting issues in an accurate and understandable manner, so that the public is better informed.

Unionization Rates Continue Downward Trend

The overall union membership rate fell to 10.3 percent, a loss of 170,000 union jobs. The union membership rates for both private and public sector workers fell for two consecutive years. See CEPR’s Union Membership Byte for an in-depth analysis of union membership by sector, demographics, and more.

More Ways US Minimum Wage Fails to Keep Up

If the minimum wage kept up with productivity it would be $24 an hour today. Dean Baker points to what caused that yawning gap between the productivity and the minimum wage in this CEPR Blog post.

The Latest About the Coup d'etat in Bolivia

See our latest work on Bolivia and the coup d'etat here. And read Mark Weisbrot's new op-ed, "The Organization of American States Has Deceived the Public, Terribly, on the Bolivian Election."

Is Ecuador's Austerity Crisis Over, or Just Beginning?

Ecuador's IMF program "is so deeply flawed that it is bound to cause more trouble," and "the IMF has already acknowledged that the shrinking of the Ecuadorian economy this year is a result of the budget-tightening in its program," Mark Weisbrot writes at The Nation.

Op-eds & Columns

Reducing the Health-Care Tax

Jared Bernstein and Dean Baker
The Washington Post, January 14, 2020

The Economic Impact of War

Dean Baker
Truthout, January 13, 2020

After the Argentina Debacle, the IMF Endorses Weakening Capital Controls in Ecuador

Lara Merling
OpenDemocracy, December 18, 2019

The WTO 20 Years After the 'Battle of Seattle'

Deborah James
Al Jazeera, November 29, 2019

Publications

Preliminary Analysis of the Findings of the Final Report on the OAS Audit

December 12, 2019, Jake Johnston

Unnatural Claims in a ‘Natural Experiment’: Escobari and Hoover on the 2019 Bolivian Elections

December 2019, David Rosnick

Eileen Appelbaum's Testimony for a House Committee on Financial Services Hearing Titled “America for Sale? An Examination of the Practices of Private Funds”

November 19, 2019, Eileen Appelbaum

Rental Housing and Homelessness in the 2020 Election: Positions of Presidential Candidates

November 2019, Andrea M. Beaty and Shawn Fremstad

CEPR in the News

Wednesday Night Owls: If the Minimum Wage Had Kept up With Productivity, It Would Be $24

Daily Kos, January 22, 2020

Can 'Atlanta's Own AOC' Make It Easier for Working-Class Americans to Run for Office?

The Washington Post, January 22, 2020

Coretta Scott King and the Fed's Full Employment Mandate

Axios, January 21, 2020

How To Aim For An Energetic Start To The New Year With New Goals And Avoid Slipping Into The Workaholic Trap

Forbes, January 14, 2020

Political Vacuum in Haiti Could Let President Rule Single-Handedly

Reuters, January 13, 2020

Blogs

CEPR Blog

Blog postings by CEPR staff and updates on the latest briefings and activities at the Center for Economic and Policy Research.

Beat the Press

Beat the Press is Dean Baker's commentary on economic reporting. Dean Baker is senior economist at the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR).

The Americas Blog

Social, political and economic analysis of the Western Hemisphere.

Blue Collar Jobs Tracker

CEPR’s Blue Collar Jobs Tracker lets you take a closer look at the path of job growth in four major blue-collar industries: manufacturing, mining, construction, and logging.

Haiti: Relief and Reconstruction Watch

Relief and Reconstruction Watch is a blog that tracks multinational aid efforts in Haiti with an eye towards ensuring they are oriented towards the needs of the Haitian people.