American workers’ wages have stagnated. Policymakers are focused on the affordability crisis, which is a critical issue for working Americans who are struggling to keep up with rising costs. But prices are just one side of the equation. Workers are in a crisis of wage stagnation. In 2025, real wage growth for most workers slowed to 1.5% once inflation is factored in. According to the Economic Policy Institute, excessive inflation this year has wiped out those wage gains entirely, leaving private-sector workers with real wages equivalent to their January 2025 levels.

 

We have some evergreen tools in our toolbox to raise wages, including policies that promote unions and collective bargaining, and those that increase the minimum wage. But Congress has failed to act on key reforms in decades. The last federal minimum wage increase was passed nearly 2 decades ago, and the nation’s bedrock law protecting workers’ right to organize is nearly 90 years old and also blocks states from innovating in these areas. Strong bills are pending to address each, but neither has a clear path to passage.

Workshop challenges students to explore bold new policy solutions for the federal, state, and local levels alike to raise wages and improve workers’ economic security in the face of rising costs. The project offers students an opportunity to address this challenge by researching and evaluating a range of policy approaches, including labor market interventions (workers’ rights and protections), wage-enhancement strategies (work supports and social insurance programs), and workforce development initiatives. Students will also assess broader economic trends like automation, artificial intelligence, trade, and energy transitions, providing a comprehensive analysis that can inform Workshop's future policy development and advocacy efforts.

Below are potential action items - understanding that the list will need to be narrowed for a 5-week project:

For each:
Develop criteria for evaluating the potential impact of different policy approaches.
Collaborate with peers to synthesize research findings into actionable recommendations.
Prepare a detailed report outlining proposed policy solutions and their expected outcomes.
Present findings and recommendations to Workshop’s team for feedback and refinement.