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Joint Economic Committee Democrats

Publications

Apr 25 2017

The Unnecessary Costs of a Government Shutdown

Government funding runs out on April 28th. Without an agreement to fund the government by then, the federal government will shut down, disrupting economic growth, increasing uncertainty for businesses and people who rely on public services or are awaiting a tax refund, and potentially triggering job losses across the economy–just as the nation experienced during the October 2013 shutdown.

Apr 25 2017

April Economic Snapshot of the States

These state economic snapshots survey the economic situation on the ground in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Although the U.S. economy overall continues its expansion from the Great Recession and associated financial crisis, the recovery can look very different from state to state, and even county to county. While some areas of the country have surged ahead, other regions are still struggling to regain their economic footing.

Apr 20 2017

Economic Impact of Understaffing U.S. Ports of Entry

This report focuses on POE staffing. While estimates vary on the exact cost of border delays to the U.S. economy, research indicates a clear link between additional POE staff, reduced wait times, and economic benefits. Staffing an additional one to three booths or lanes can reduce maximum wait times by up to 25 minutes at some of the busiest POEs. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) estimates an additional 1,000 POE officers would increase economic activity by $2 billion and add 33,148 new U.S. jobs per year.

Apr 11 2017

Key Consumer Protection Accomplishments

For nearly six years, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has held financial companies accountable and protected consumers from unfair, deceptive, and fraudulent practices, returning billions of dollars to millions of consumers, including students and service members.

Apr 07 2017

Medium Post: Breaking Down Opportunity Barriers

This week, the Joint Economic Committee held its first hearing of this Congress entitled, “The Decline of Economic Opportunity in the United States: Causes and Consequences.” Ranking Member Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Committee Members heard from several witnesses on how to improve the U.S. economy so more American families that feel left behind can succeed. An overview with highlights from the hearing, including a discussion of immigrant workers’ role in the economy, equal pay for women, and student opportunity barriers can be found here.

Apr 07 2017

President Trump Job Tracker March 2017

To keep tabs on the current administration’s jobs numbers, a comparison between the March jobs report under President Trump and the average jobs report in the late 1990’s.

Apr 03 2017

#Real News: Women Still Earn Less Than Men

Equal Pay Day marks how far into the new year a woman would have to work to earn what a man earned the previous year. The 20 percent gap in earnings between women and men is due to complex factors, including differences in years of work experience, variation in occupation and industry, and discrimination.