Growing the Middle Class

Growing the middle class is fundamental to strengthening the U.S. economy, and yet for decades, Americans’ ability to secure and maintain a place in the middle class has been increasingly out of reach. New laws—the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act—are spurring public and private investments to revitalize American industry, tackle climate change by boosting clean energy production, and create good jobs you can raise a family on. Pairing these investments with new efforts to crack down on corporate greed will also help lower the cost of living—from prescription drugs and energy, to transportation and everyday goods—and grow the middle class.

Photo shows two people assembling a piece of machinery
Two employees work on the production line at Ford’s electric vehicle assembly plant in Dearborn, Michigan, September 2022. (Getty/Jeff Kowalsky/AFP)

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4 Ways Unions Make Our Economy and Democracy Stronger Article

4 Ways Unions Make Our Economy and Democracy Stronger

Unions raise wages for workers, reduce inequality, increase voter turnout, and advance middle-class interests; policymakers should make strengthening unions a top priority.

the Center for American Progress

Sachin Shiva

Investing in infrastructure helps everybody Personal Story

Investing in infrastructure helps everybody

Cristian Cespedes, a union member from Las Vegas, shares how federal infrastructure investments and regulations help create jobs and drive up wages for both union and nonunion workers alike.

The Las Vegas Sun News

Cristian Cespedes

5 Reasons Automakers Must Provide Good Jobs and Lower Vehicle Emissions Article

5 Reasons Automakers Must Provide Good Jobs and Lower Vehicle Emissions

In the face of demands for better jobs and stronger health protections, some automakers claim they can’t improve job quality and lower vehicle emissions—but they have the resources to support middle-class-led economic growth and clean up their vehicle fleets.

the Center for American Progress

Leo Banks, Karla Walter, Anona Neal

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