LISEP’s mission is to help achieve shared economic prosperity for all Americans, particularly for middle- and low-income families.
Joined January 2024
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Rising wages don't always mean workers are getting ahead. LISEP's new Local Analysis finds spending power fell in 61% of major U.S. metro areas in 2024, despite wage gains.
Explore the findings for each MSA: lisep.org/localanalysis
Read the release: lisep.org/content/rising-wag…
LISEP's latest reports show modest improvements in wages and functional unemployment, but gains vary across the workforce.
September TRU fell to 24.0%, while real median weekly earnings rose 0.6% in Q3 to $1,041.
Read the latest findings: lisep.org/content/slight-imp…
Functional unemployment declined in August for the first time after four consecutive months of increases.
LISEP’s True Rate of Unemployment fell 0.6 percentage points to 24.3%, partially reversing recent increases.
Read more: lisep.org/content/functional…
The headline unemployment rate was 4.1% in July. LISEP’s True Rate of Unemployment was 24.9%.
@CBSNews takes a closer look at what that difference may reveal about the U.S. labor market.
Watch: cbsnews.com/video/what-funct…
Read: cbsnews.com/news/functional-…
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Functional unemployment rose for the fourth consecutive month in July, with the TRU reaching 24.9%.
Meanwhile, TRU OOP—which also accounts for those who have left the labor force—rose to 53.8%, up 0.8 points since January.
Read the full release: lisep.org/content/functional…
Real median weekly earnings declined year over year in Q2, while functional unemployment rose for the third consecutive month in June.
Read more: lisep.org/content/wages-down…
LISEP's May True Rate of Unemployment rose to 24.6%, up from 24.1% in April.
While this marked a second consecutive monthly increase, the TRU's three-month moving average remained at 24.1% for the third straight month.
lisep.org/content/functional…
Ludwig Institute for Shared Economic Prosperity retweeted
Thank you to Eugene Ludwig, chair of the @Lisep_org, and @PatrickMcHenry, former chairman of the House Financial Services Committee for sharing their insights on our panel, The Affordability Debate and the Future of Community Banking.
#2026CDBAPeerForum #BankingForGood
LISEP’s April True Rate of Unemployment rose to 24.1%.
While conditions have improved since late 2025, workforce participation continues to decline, and more workers are relying on part-time jobs due to slack.
Read more: lisep.org/content/functional…
In his latest for @FortuneMagazine, LISEP Chair @geneludwig examines why affordability has become such a central concern for Americans—and why this challenge has been building for decades.
fortune.com/2026/05/06/cost-…
In this month’s Ludwig Report:
• Functional unemployment improved in March
• Median wages fell for low- and middle-income workers over the past year
• Regional bankers report rising financial strain
Read the full issue: mailchi.mp/1002d81f314b/the-…
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Functional unemployment improved in March, with the TRU falling to 23.6%. But the broader trend remains uneven. The three-month average (24.1%) is largely unchanged from a year ago, though down from the end of 2025.
Read the full release: lisep.org/content/functional…
ALT Line chart showing the True Rate of Unemployment (TRU) and the TRU three-month moving average from January 2025-March 2026
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Functional unemployment improved in March, but median wages declined.
LISEP’s March TRU and Q1 TWE data show:
• The TRU fell 1.1 pp to 23.6%.
• The TWE fell 0.9% year over year to $1,018/week.
Read the full release: lisep.org/content/functional…
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In his latest for @MarketWatch, LISEP Chair @geneludwig shares what he's hearing from bankers across the country—and what it means for the economy ahead.
marketwatch.com/story/your-l…
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New data in this month’s The Ludwig Report highlight persistent challenges in the labor market:
• Functional unemployment rose for women and Black workers
• Essential costs have outpaced wages for more than two decades
Read the full newsletter: mailchi.mp/981e8575cf23/the-…
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Functional unemployment rose to 24.7% in February, following January’s decline.
Black workers saw the largest increase, and women continue to face worsening outcomes—trends that reflect broader labor market challenges over the past year.
lisep.org/content/functional…
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Since 2001, the cost of essentials has risen 106%—far above the 77% increase in CPI.
In 2024, both the True Living Cost and Minimal Quality of Life rose 4.4%, driven primarily by housing and childcare.
Read the release: lisep.org/content/cost-of-a-…
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New LISEP data show basic costs rose 4.4% in 2024—outpacing wage growth and headline inflation.
Also in this month’s Ludwig Report: January's TRU update, new TLC & MQL data, and a "Mismeasurement" interview on the risks of misleading economic data: mailchi.mp/2c9ac19ab456/the-…
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The functional unemployment rate improved in January (23.8%), down from December’s four-year high.
All demographics saw gains, but the TRU remains above last year’s level, and the gender gap widened.
Full report: lisep.org/content/functional…
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New @Newsweek coverage highlights LISEP’s findings on rising functional unemployment and the challenges many workers face accessing full-time, living-wage jobs.
newsweek.com/millions-americ…
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