Building an Economy for All
Economic growth must be built on the foundation of a strong and secure middle class so that all Americans, not just those at the top, benefit from growth.
What We're Working On
What We're Doing
Investing in a stronger and more equitable economy
We must continue to invest in research, technology, and innovation in a manner that ensures participation and benefits communities that are too often left behind. Only through such an approach can the United States remain at the cutting edge in an increasingly competitive global market.
Strengthening worker power and economic mobility
We need to increase wages, reduce poverty among working families, increase worker power, and create pathways to economic mobility for all.
Raising the floor for basic living standards
Working toward a stronger and more equitable economy for everyone involves rebuilding, expanding, and strengthening America’s social safety net to make it more comprehensive in eligibility and services as well as more flexible in how it can be accessed and used.
Creating a new social compact with business
A new social compact with business includes a regulatory vision that better aligns investors, companies, and the public interest on critical matters such as climate, workers’ rights, and equality.
By the numbers
60M
The families of more than 60 million children have received CTC monthly payments since July 2021.
CAP, “Making the CTC and EITC Expansions Permanent Would Reduce Poverty and Grow the Economy” (2021).
$100
In 32 states, a typical family would save more than $100 per week on child care under the Build Back Better Act.
CAP, “The Build Back Better Act Would Greatly Lower Families’ Child Care Costs” (2021).
$22.5B
In a year, workers and their families lose $22.5 billion in wages due to lack of access to paid family and medical leave.
CAP, “A Real Recovery for Women Cannot Happen Without the Build Back Better Agenda” (2021).
$3.6T
The Build Back Better Act would raise $3.6 trillion in revenue to support investments in an inclusive, high-growth economy.
CAP, “Addressing Tax System Failings That Favor Billionaires and Corporations” (2021).
What You Can Do
Recent work
5 Facts About the PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act
At Navajo Technical University, a World-Class Laboratory Is Building Native American Manufacturing Capacity
Ten Defense Budget Questions Biden Must Answer
Historic New EU Law Part of Growing Push for Sectoral Bargaining
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5 Facts About the PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act
The PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act provides critical protections for women who choose to breastfeed in the workplace and expands protections in the 2010 Break Time for Nursing Mothers Act.
At Navajo Technical University, a World-Class Laboratory Is Building Native American Manufacturing Capacity
In the third and final installment in a series on Tribal colleges and universities (TCUs), the Center for American Progress and American Indian College Fund examine how a Tribal university in New Mexico is creating engineering and advanced manufacturing career opportunities on the rural Navajo Nation.
Ten Defense Budget Questions Biden Must Answer
Lawrence J. Korb discusses the 10 major questions that President Joe Biden should address in the fiscal year 2024 defense budget.
Historic New EU Law Part of Growing Push for Sectoral Bargaining
David Madland explains how the European Union's new law aims to improve working conditions by increasing minimum wages and dramatically increasing collective bargaining.
Voluntary Recognition of Unions Is Increasingly Popular Among U.S. Employers
From minor league baseball to Microsoft, businesses in a range of industries are respecting their workers' right to come together in unions.
The State of Unpaid Family and Medical Leave in the U.S. in 2023
This fact sheet provides an overview of unpaid family and medical leave laws in the United States, including the federal Family and Medical Leave Act.
The State of Paid Sick Time in the U.S. in 2023
This fact sheet provides an overview of paid sick time laws in the United States.
The State of Paid Family and Medical Leave in the U.S. in 2023
This fact sheet provides an overview of paid family and medical leave laws in the United States.
New Zealand’s New Sectoral Bargaining Law Holds Lessons for the United States
David Madland argues that the United States should take note of New Zealand's new labor reform law.
Revolutionizing the Workplace: Why Long COVID and the Increase of Disabled Workers Require a New Approach
Using new data from the U.S. Census Bureau to examine the impacts of long COVID on the labor market, this report recommends that employers, unions, and policymakers create better workplaces for disabled workers and all workers.
The Latest Poverty, Income, and Food Insecurity Data Reveal Continuing Racial Disparities
Federal policies implemented in 2021 led to notable progress in the fight against poverty, but data show that persistent economic disparities, by both gender and race and ethnicity, will only be closed through continued attention and investments.
CAP’s Comment on the Federal Insurance Office’s Proposed Call for Climate-Related Financial Risk Data
The Center for American Progress submitted a comment letter to the Federal Insurance Office regarding its proposed nationwide collection of climate-related financial risk data from insurers.