About the authors

Lawrence Mishel to the Economic Policy Institute in 1987. As EPI's first research director, then as vice president, and now president, he has played a significant role in building EPI's research capabilities and reputation. He has researched, written, and spoken widely on the economy and economic policy as it affects middle- and low-income families. He is principal author of a major research volume, The State of Working America (published every even-numbered year since 1988) which provides a comprehensive overview of the U.S. labor market and living standards.

A nationally recognized economist, Mishel is frequently called on to testify and provide economic briefings to members of Congress and appears regularly as a commentator on the economy in print and broadcast media. Recently, he wrote a paper outlining a plan to stimulate the economy, which was widely adopted by policy makers in Washington and beyond.

Jared Bernstein Jared Bernstein resigned from EPI in December 2008 to serve as Chief Economist and Economic Policy Advisor for Vice President Joe Biden. Bernstein joined the Economic Policy Institute in 1992. His latest book is Crunch: Why Do I Feel So Squeezed? (And Other Unsolved Economic Mysteries), which follows All Together Now: Common Sense for a Fair Economy. His areas of research include income inequality and mobility, trends in employment and earnings, low-wage labor markets and poverty, international comparisons, and the analysis of federal and state economic policies. He is the co-author of ten editions of the book The State of Working America and has published extensively in popular and academic venues, including The New York Times, Washington Post, American Prospect, and Research in Economics and Statistics. He is also a contributor to the financial news station CNBC.

Heidi Shierholz joined the Economic Policy Institute in August 2007. Her areas of research include income inequality, the gender wage gap, trends in employment and compensation, and the low-wage labor market. She previously worked as an Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of Toronto.