Author

Casey Quinlan

Casey Quinlan

Casey Quinlan is an economy reporter for States Newsroom, based in Washington, D.C. For the past decade, they have reported on national politics and state politics, LGBTQ rights, abortion access, labor issues, education, Supreme Court news and more for publications including The American Independent, ThinkProgress, New Republic, Rewire News, SCOTUSblog, In These Times and Vox.

Women workers could bear economic brunt as federal child care funding ends

By: - September 29, 2023

A huge chunk of pandemic relief funding that kept child care programs afloat for the past few years is set to run out Saturday, and policy advocates say the economic impact will be profound, with the ripple effect hurting labor force participation and consumer spending at a time when the country is still trying to […]

Activists protest outside of The White House to “Cancel Student Debt” on March 15, 2022 in Washington, DC. The Supreme Court’s decision that the Biden administration didn’t have the authority to cancel student debt helped sow confusion that scammers are using to their advantage. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for We The 45 Million)

Student debt relief scams on the rise. Here’s what borrowers need to know

By: - September 28, 2023

Complaints about student debt relief scams are increasing as the date approaches for borrowers to restart payment on their student loans after more than a three-year pause. Consumer protection advocates say that the Biden administration’s student debt relief efforts, the subsequent halting of those policies by the courts, and the restart of student loan payments […]

Consumers face higher car prices, lower inventory with auto workers on strike

By: - September 15, 2023

Economic experts and researchers say that the auto workers strike could have far-reaching economic consequences for businesses and consumers, depending on its duration. In addition to workers’ job losses, consumers could see higher prices for cars and depleted inventory. The United Auto Workers union, representing about 150,000 auto workers, walked off the job at midnight […]

Millions more workers would receive overtime pay under proposed Biden administration rule

By: - September 11, 2023

Salaried workers who have been ineligible for overtime pay would benefit from a proposed Biden administration regulation. The Department of Labor’s new rule would require employers to compensate full-time workers in management, administrative or other professional roles for any overtime worked if they make less than $55,068 annually. Currently, the salary threshold is $35,568. The […]

U.S. job growth exceeds economists’ expectations as unemployment inches up

By: - September 4, 2023

The nation’s labor market is stable and healthy, economists and policy experts say, although the unemployment rate ticked up in the month of August. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ report released Friday showed that unemployment rose to 3.8% in August from 3.5% in July. Meanwhile the economy added 187,000 jobs, above expectations of 170,000 jobs […]

Pregnant workers have new protections. Here’s what to expect from your boss.

By: - August 26, 2023

Almost two months after workplace accommodations for pregnant workers became law, the rules surrounding what employers can and cannot do have yet to be finalized — but that doesn’t mean the protections are not in place. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s proposed regulations are expected to offer more clarity once finalized, but workers can still […]

Consumers seeing relief in some food prices as inflation continues to slow

By: - August 14, 2023

Consumers are getting some relief from higher prices as core inflation, which excludes food and energy, continues to show signs of cooling — an encouraging sign for the U.S. economy, according to economists. A Department of Labor report showed that the consumer price index rose 0.2% in July, in line with expectations, and 3.2% in […]

VP Kamala Harris unveils new wage rule for federal projects

By: - August 8, 2023

Construction workers who work on federal projects are poised to receive better wages and worker protections under a Department of Labor rule touted on Tuesday by Vice President Kamala Harris. Speaking at a union hall in Philadelphia, Harris praised the Biden administration’s economic agenda and pointed out that the new rule would be the first […]

Teamsters-UPS reach ‘game-changing’ labor deal to avert strike

By: - July 25, 2023

UPS and its workers, represented by the Teamsters, reached a tentative deal Tuesday to prevent an Aug. 1 strike of 340,000 union members at the package carrier. A work stoppage could have cost the U.S. economy billions by disrupting supply chains and upending distribution to both large and small businesses, hospitals and homes. Representatives of […]

Democrats call for raising FDIC insurance limits at Senate hearing

By: - July 20, 2023

WASHINGTON — Members of the Senate banking committee explored the pros and cons of reforming deposit insurance on Thursday, which has been a topic of debate among policymakers since the aftermath of bank collapses earlier this year. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insures each depositor for up to $250,000 — a fact that took on […]

Economy adds more jobs in June even as hiring slows

By: - July 7, 2023

Although hiring inched down in June, the U.S. labor market is still showing signs of strength, with unemployment falling and earnings continuing to rise, the latest jobs report from the U.S. Department of Labor showed. The economy added 209,000 jobs as the unemployment rate fell in June to 3.6% from 3.7% in May. “In excess […]

States, cities turn to community organizations to battle wage theft

By: - July 4, 2023

About five years ago, most of Minneapolis’ Subway, Little Caesars and McDonald’s franchise restaurants did not comply with city wage standards. Now workers at each of the locations that violated the law receive the required minimum wage and time off when they’re sick. This is all thanks to a co-enforcement program, where the city’s labor […]