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
Removing Obstacles for Disabled Workers Would Strengthen the U.S. Labor Market
Fact Sheet: Easing the American Nursing Shortage
2022 State Abortion Bans Are a Patchwork of Increasingly Extreme Laws
Latest
Increased Wage Inequality Has Reduced Social Security’s Revenue
Rising economic inequality has pushed down Social Security’s revenues, but there are a few possible avenues to generating more revenue in order to preserve Social Security.
The Economic, Educational, and Health-Related Costs of Being a Woman
From the gender wage gap to gender-based pricing, the cost of being a woman in America is integrated in our economic, health, and education systems and requires a multipronged policy approach to address.
Occupational Segregation in America
Occupational segregation in the American labor market reflects and drives inequalities in American society.
Black Men and the U.S. Economy: How the Economic Recovery Is Perpetuating Systemic Racism
While the U.S. economy is recovering for many Americans, Black men continue to experience persistent unemployment gaps and reduced economic opportunity.
Claims That Crypto Bolsters Financial Inclusion Are Dubious
Advocates’ arguments that cryptocurrencies improve access to financial services lack evidence.
Investments in the State and Local Government Workforce Will Deliver Crucial Services and Create Economic Security
As the American economy recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, declines in employment in state and local governments threaten the delivery of crucial services and the economic security of workers, particularly workers of color and women.
LGBTQI+ Nondiscrimination Laws Improve Economic, Physical, and Mental Well-Being
Research demonstrates legal protections for LGBTQI+ individuals provide significant benefits for those individuals as well as for their broader communities.
5 Strategies for Equitable Implementation of Public Investments in Child Care
States received an influx of funding from the American Rescue Plan Act to stabilize their child care industries. Key policy strategies that center equity ensure that these funds reach the people who need them most.
The American Rescue Plan Shored Up Child Care, But a Long-Term Solution Is Necessary
The American Rescue Plan provided much-needed funding to protect the child care sector from collapse, but long-term investments are critical to achieve lasting infrastructural change.
The ARP Grew the Economy, Reduced Poverty, and Eased Financial Hardship for Millions
Data show that in just one year, the 2021 American Rescue Plan eased hardship for millions of Americans and demonstrated the need for further federal investment to build a long-term, equitable economy that works for all.