Center for Economic and Policy Research
ceprdc.bsky.social
Center for Economic and Policy Research
@ceprdc.bsky.social
The Center for Economic and Policy Research promotes democratic debate on the most important economic and social issues that affect people's lives.
Unemployment edged down from 4.6% to 4.4% in December, but the labor market continues to show signs of weakening. @deanbaker13.bsky.social breaks down the latest jobs report:  https://bit.ly/4pF4rPF
January 15, 2026 at 1:30 PM
When the billionaires don’t blink at interference with the Federal Reserve, it’s time for concern.

@deanbaker13.bsky.social says Trump’s criminal investigation of Jerome Powell is a retaliatory move that threatens Fed independence.
https://bit.ly/4sASwoN
January 14, 2026 at 8:30 PM
Great coverage of our research by @axios.com: Higher earners pay more for healthcare. But low-income families pay the price.

1 in 5 spend over 10% of income on care—2X the rate of wealthier families. The burden falls hardest on those already barely making it.
Working families spend nearly $4,000 annually on health care
Around 1 in 8 working families spend more than 10% of their income on health care.
bit.ly
January 14, 2026 at 6:31 PM
Sanctions are now a go-to instrument of U.S. foreign policy, but this explosion in economic coercion has occurred with little discussion of the enormous human cost. Learn all about these unilateral tools in our updated FAQ.
US Sanctions Policy: Frequently Asked Questions
Explore CEPR’s focus areas by topic and region. Our work provides timely, data-driven research and analysis on a broad range of critical domestic and international policy issues.
cepr.net
January 14, 2026 at 6:04 PM
“To create the stability that Venezuela needs to recover, we have to take the military & economic violence out of this campaign. There are members of Congress moving toward that goal, and they need all the help they can get," Mark Weisbrot says of today's WPR vote @latimes.com 
Contributor: A Senate war powers resolution on Venezuela actually could curb Trump
Now with support from more Republican senators, political moves on the Hill could blunt Trump's war because the administration is wary of alienating Congress.
bit.ly
January 14, 2026 at 3:48 PM
Far from a clean, in-and-out operation, the Trump administration's military intervention in Venezuela on January 3 was about as profound a violation of another country's national sovereignty as you can encounter, CEPR's international policy director Alex Main told @al-jazeera-english.bsky.social.
January 13, 2026 at 9:09 PM
Reposted by Center for Economic and Policy Research
Emma Curchin and I have a new @ceprdc.bsky.social report out today:

"The High Cost of Living: What Working Families Pay For Health Care"
cepr.net/publications...

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The High Cost of Living: What Working Families Pay For Health Care
Working families spend nearly $4,000 a year on health care, with many paying over 10% of income as rising premiums and out-of-pocket costs strain budgets.
cepr.net
January 13, 2026 at 4:19 PM
Even as Trump seeks to deepen the economic crisis on the island, Cuba has been interested in coming to the table to ease U.S. sanctions. Topics for discussion could include migration and security, CEPR expert Michael Galant tells @apnews.com.
Cuba's president says no current talks with the US after Trump threatens it
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel says his administration is not in talks with the U.S. government
tinyurl.com
January 13, 2026 at 4:28 PM
Reposted by Center for Economic and Policy Research
NEW: For decades, employers have shifted health care costs onto workers through higher co-pays, deductibles & reduced coverage. The result? The typical working family now pays $3,960/yr out-of-pocket—even with insurance. Research from @jschmittwdc.bsky.social and Emma Curchin: 
bit.ly
January 13, 2026 at 3:36 PM
NEW: For decades, employers have shifted health care costs onto workers through higher co-pays, deductibles & reduced coverage. The result? The typical working family now pays $3,960/yr out-of-pocket—even with insurance. Research from @jschmittwdc.bsky.social and Emma Curchin: 
bit.ly
January 13, 2026 at 3:36 PM
The goods sector continues bleeding jobs—manufacturing down 68,000 over the year. Only health care and restaurants are consistently adding positions. As @deanbaker13 notes: not a bad report, but clear evidence of gradual weakening.
January 9, 2026 at 8:15 PM
Long-term unemployment hit its highest share since February 2022 at 26%.

Prime-age women are facing *particularly* tough conditions, with unemployment rates well above pre-pandemic levels despite higher labor force participation.
January 9, 2026 at 8:15 PM
Outside health care, the economy actually lost an average of 71K jobs over the last three months. Involuntary part-time work jumped by 980K compared to last year—a clear sign workers want more hours but can't find them.
January 9, 2026 at 8:15 PM
🧵 #JobsDay: The economy added just 50,000 jobs in December, with unemployment dipping to 4.4%. But the details reveal a labor market under strain, says @deanbaker13.bsky.social. https://cepr.net/publications/unemployment-edges-down-to-4-4-percent-economy-adds-50000-jobs-in-december/
January 9, 2026 at 8:15 PM
Trump says the US has the biggest economy on the earth, but his failed attempts to use tariffs against China and Brazil highlight the limits of our economic leverage.

At $31.8 trillion GDP, the US is only the third-largest economy in the world. 
https://bit.ly/4buc9se
January 9, 2026 at 6:02 PM
#NEW: CEPR Applauds Senate Vote to Advance War Powers Resolution on Venezuela

Read the full statement: https://cepr.net/newsroom/cepr-applauds-senate-vote-to-advance-war-powers-resolution-on-venezuela/
January 8, 2026 at 9:04 PM
Reposted by Center for Economic and Policy Research
RFK spent decades criticizing industry capture of our federal health agencies. Now that he runs them, has the anti-pharma crusader become Big Pharma's best friend? 

@brandonnovick.bsky.social details the RFK's hypocrisy and what's at stake: https://bit.ly/4poQOnE
January 2, 2026 at 4:03 PM
It’s been over a decade since China’s economy surpassed the United States, and Trump still thinks the US has the biggest economy on earth. His threats against other countries are rooted in economic leverage that no longer exists.

More from @deanbaker13.bsky.social:
https://bit.ly/4buc9se
January 8, 2026 at 7:02 PM
#BREAKING: The Senate has advanced the @kaine.senate.gov-led War Powers Resolution to restrict the Trump administration's ability to go to war with Venezuela. Thank you Senators Josh Hawley, Lisa Murkowski, Rand Paul, Todd Young, Susan Collins and John Fetterman for voting to prevent war.
January 8, 2026 at 5:56 PM
If Venezuela could gain access to its international assets, like CITGO, which have been frozen due to U.S. sanctions, that would be an important component of the country's economic recovery, CEPR senior research fellow Francisco Rodríguez told @ajenglish.bsky.social.
What will happen to parts of Venezuela’s economy affected by US sanctions?
Economist Francisco Rodriguez: regaining access to blocked assets will be essential for Venezuela’s economic recovery
tinyurl.com
January 8, 2026 at 5:17 PM
“One of Rubio’s central challenges is managing pressure from FL's Republican base and lawmakers from his own state, many of whom expected a U.S.-military-led regime-change operation that would install an opposition government," Francesca Emanuele told @ewong.bsky.social.
After Maduro’s Ouster, Marco Rubio Faces the Challenge of Running Venezuela (Gift Article)
The secretary of state helped steer President Trump to attacking Venezuela and seizing Nicolás Maduro, and now aims to force the country to give U.S. companies access to its oil.
tinyurl.com
January 8, 2026 at 4:19 PM
In their push to interfere throughout Latin America, President Trump is motivated by oil and power, while Secretary Rubio wants regime change in Cuba, CEPR co-director Mark Weisbrot told Brazilian outlet @apublica.org (for English version, see comments).
Petróleo e poder: Trump e Rubio querem interferir em toda América Latina, diz pesquisador
Em entrevista, Mark Weisbrot avalia que além do lucro com petróleo, EUA miram países cujos líderes não sejam subservientes
tinyurl.com
January 8, 2026 at 12:05 AM
It seems that Trump hasn’t learned from his predecessors that overthrowing a foreign government—it generally doesn’t turn out well for the US.

@deanbaker13.bsky.social warns against a repeat of what happened in Iraq. https://cepr.net/publications/venezuela-will-pay-for-its-own-reconstruction/
January 7, 2026 at 2:30 PM
Reposted by Center for Economic and Policy Research
What led to this moment in Venezuela? @ceprdc.bsky.social's Francisco Rodríguez joined Council President & CEO
@leslievinjamuri.bsky.social on the Deep Dish podcast last fall to unpack the forces shaping the crisis—and how they have informed Trump's approach.

🎧: globalaffairs.org/commentary/p...
January 3, 2026 at 4:38 PM