What is EARN (Economic Analysis and Research Network)?

Updated

EARN is a nationwide network of research, policy, and advocacy organizations that works state by state on economic policy. If you want to understand who produces state-level research on worker and economic issues—or where to find briefs on topics like minimum wage, paid leave, and wage theft—EARN is the umbrella network to know. It is not a single think tank; it is a coalition whose members are state-focused research and advocacy groups.

What EARN is

According to its own description, EARN is "a nationwide network of research, policy, and advocacy organizations fighting, state by state, for an economy that works for everyone." The key word is network: EARN connects organizations rather than acting as one centralized publisher. Its work is oriented toward state-level policy, which is where many labor and economic rules are actually set in the U.S.

What it covers

EARN's listed issue areas span labor standards and economic justice:

  • COVID-19 Paid Sick Days
  • EARN in the South
  • Education
  • Jobs
  • Minimum Wage
  • Overtime
  • Paid Leave
  • Preemption
  • Racial Justice
  • Wage Theft
  • Wages

These topics cluster around worker protections and economic inclusion—how states set wages, leave, and overtime rules, and how they enforce them.

What it publishes

EARN's site highlights Key Resources for 2025/2026, including a series titled Holding the Line: State solutions to the U.S. worker rights crisis. Per the site, the series covers how states should respond to the current worker rights crisis, remedy longstanding gaps and exclusions in weak or outdated labor and employment laws, and advance new protections.

It also lists recent publications from member organizations, such as:

Publication Organization Date
5 Things We Heard About Affordability at our Governor Candidate Forum Kids Forward (WI) August 7, 2026
State Economists Confirm What the Prosperity Council Ignores Oregon Center for Public Policy (OR) August 6, 2026
Work Requirements Won't Fix Maryland's Housing Crisis — They'll Deepen It Maryland Center for Economic Policy (MD) August 5, 2026

The pattern is worth noting: EARN aggregates work from state-level groups, so its value is as a hub for finding state-specific analysis rather than a single national voice.

When to use EARN

Use EARN if you want:

  • State-level economic policy research rather than only federal analysis
  • Briefs on worker rights issues like paid leave, minimum wage, and wage theft
  • A directory of member organizations to follow for a specific state

If you need a single organization's position or a national dataset, EARN is a starting point that points you toward the relevant state group. Registration for something on the site is noted as "now open," but the available material does not specify what the registration is for, so check the site directly before assuming access terms.