Sylvia is a senior economist at CEPR. Previously, she was the cochair of the Center on Wage and Employment Dynamics at the University of California, Berkeley. Before that, Sylvia worked for several years at the Economic Policy Institute after receiving her PhD in economics from the University of Colorado, Boulder. She has been published in top-tier academic journals and has written extensively on topics that include minimum and subminimum wages, low-wage labor markets, inequality, teacher pay, public sector employment, and unions. Sylvia tracks unemployment, jobs, wages, and other economic trends with an eye toward how typical workers and families are faring. Her recent research concerns the growth in metropolitan statistical area– (MSA)-level hospital consolidation and how it has affected the growth in nursing wages. Preliminary results show that less competition in hospital markets has suppressed the growth of nursing wages.
Sylvia has appeared on national television and radio network news programs and is widely cited and published commentaries in major print publications, including The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and the Los Angeles Times.
All from Sylvia Allegretto
Teacher Pay Rises—But Not Enough to Shrink Pay Gap
New report exposes the widening pay gap for teachers. Explore the state-level estimates and the largest disparities in pay.
Why ‘No Taxes on Tips’ Won’t Help Most Workers
Understanding the potential impact of ending federal taxes on tips. Learn why this policy may not benefit workers struggling to make ends meet.
Workers, Unchecked: The Case for Card Check This Labor Day
Learn about union card check and its role in simplifying the certification process. Find out how it promotes workers’ rights and collective bargaining.
The $7.25 Federal Minimum Wage is Too Damn Low & Has Been So for Too Damn Long
15 years without an increase: Exploring the impact of a stagnant federal minimum wage on workers’ buying power and income inequality.
Here’s a Tip: Tips are Not Always Gratuity
The truth about tipped workers: Discover the history and implications of the two-tiered wage system in the US.
Customer Tips Are Providing the Lion’s Share of Wages to Tipped Workers
The so-called “tip credit” subsidizes employers & short-changes workers.
Teacher Pay Penalty Still Looms Large
The pay penalty for teachers — the gap between the weekly wages of teachers and other college graduates — grew to a record 26.4% in 2022, according to a new report from the Economic Policy Institute and the Center for Economic and Policy Research.
Off-the-Mark Media Coverage Aside, UAW Strike Shows the Time is Now for Workers to Unite
The US is in the throes of a major resurgence of union drives and strike activity, and the “hot labor summer” seems poised to become a vibrant labor autumn.
Trends in State and Local Government Employment
The government workforce is crucial to our daily lives and is an integral part of the US economy.
The Subminimum Wage Plus Tips: A Bad Bargain for Workers
The May 2023 issue of the New Labor Forum discusses the systemic flaws in the United States’ two-tiered minimum wage system, focusing on the long-overlooked federal subminimum wage for tipped workers
