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Catherine Ruetschlin has produced an outside-the-box policy brief for Demos arguing for "a new wage floor for the lowest-paid retail workers equivalent to $25,000 per year for a full-time, year-round retail worker at the nation’s largest retail companies—those employing at least 1,000 workers."
In the media
Matt Yglesias
Walmart executives worried about the recent spate of labor activity against the retailer would probably tell you that they cannot possibly offer higher wages to their employees while maintaining their brand identifier of low prices. They offer what the market will bear in terms of wages, they would
In the media
David Dayen

How Raising Wages Would Benefit Workers, the Industry and the Overall Economy

Research
Catherine Ruetschlin
There have been a number of news stories about the closing of Hostess’ factories and plans to liquidate the company in the wake of the refusal of one of its unions to accept reductions in pay and benefits and other concessions. It appears as though this will leave Hostess’ 18,000 workers without a
Blog
Dean Baker
Baby boomers are the first generation in American history to be entering retirement saddled with debt, including unpaid balances on credit cards. The financial crisis in 2008 that sent the economy into a recession crippled many baby boomers’ retirement accounts, forcing many to stay in the workforce
In the media
Roman Shteyn
Henry Ford famously decided in 1914 to pay many of his workers the then incredible sum of five dollars a day, which was substantially higher than the prevailing wage at the time.
In the media
Bob Herbert
The financial industry is coming under growing scrutiny for its shady involvement in student loan debt.
Blog
Tamara Draut
NEW YORK -- With $4 trillion in annual revenue, over 15 million employees and projections to be one of the largest sources of new jobs in the next decade, the retail sector plays a vital role in the economy, wielding great influence over the living standards for many Americans.
Press release/statement
The price paid by American families for the reckless greed of Wall Street has been well documented and includes severe losses of household wealth – more than half for African American families and two-thirds for Latino families – due to the decline in housing values and employment. The Great
Blog
Lisa Lindsley
Strike Debt is one of Occupy Wall Street's progeny. They debuted with The Debt Resistors' Operations Manual, a resource to help people dealing with debt and those seeking to circumvent it altogether.
Blog
Jack Grauer