Fact Sheets & Briefs

The National Priorities Project has created one-page fact sheets using the latest information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Recovery.gov and other reputable sources. Data on unemployment, state budget deficits, estimated recovery times for major metropolitan areas, and jobs created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act are provided, along with relevant and timely NPP federal budget analysis. more »

President Obama's tax cuts benefitted more than 95 percent of Americans.

The average American is receiving a refund of nearly $3,000—up more than 10 percent over last year—thanks to the Obama tax cuts for 95 percent of Americans [The White House]. Tax reductions that benefit working families include the Making Work Pay tax cut ($400 for individuals, $800 for couples) and changes in the child tax credit and the earned income tax credit that made more people eligible to take those deductions.

Families in the bottom 20 percent of income (up to $19,792 in 2009) received an average tax cut of $604 under the 2009 tax cuts [Citizens for Tax Justice]. The 2001 and 2006 tax cuts under President Bush resulted in an average tax cut for the bottom 20 percent of income earners of just $22 [Tax Policy Center]. The next 20 percent of earners (making up to $38,000 in 2009) got an average tax cut of $628 under the 2009 tax cut. The same group only got an average reduction of $360 under the Bush tax cuts.

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The national unemployment rate in March 2010 was 9.7 percent. However, that number alone does not capture the full extent of the nation's unemployment crisis. These numbers and facts help paint a more complete picture and should guide the remedies the Obama administration and Congress prescribe to address the problem.

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A Consumer Financial Protection Agency would serve the people who take out mortgages, use credit cards, borrow money for their small business, or take advantage of other household financial service products. more »

Source: Economic Policy Institute. more »

The Challenge: Repair The Damage From A Lost Decade

The Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission will consist of six Democrats and four Republicans, appointed by the leaders in each house of Congress. No current officeholders at the federal, state, or local level will be allowed to serve on it. more »

Here's how the economic recovery proposals now being considered by Congress match up to the recommendations in the Main Street Recovery Program, which has been endorsed by more than 2,000 progressive leaders and activists. more »

Here are some basic facts behind our call for "real investment" in people, assembled from recent government and private studies. We've fallen behind as a nation, but making the right spending choices will yield lasting dividends. more »