Washington D.C — On Thursday, a new Joint Economic Committee (JEC) report detailed how the Republican Tax Law and congressional Republicans’ support for tariffs are affecting Americans across occupations and income levels. Working families across the country are projected to lose hundreds or even thousands of dollars in 2026 thanks to tariffs and the tax law, while the wealthiest Americans continue to receive massive tax breaks.
By the end of the year, workers in each of these occupations are projected to lose these amounts thanks to the Republican Tax Law and tariffs:
- $890 for security guards.
- $860 for home health aids and nursing assistants.
- $800 for retail sales workers.
- $600 or more for office and administrative support workers.
- $280 for grade school teachers.
- $270 for firefighters and truck drivers.
In stark contrast, the top 0.1% earners will get a tax break of nearly $200,000 by the end of this year, while the average member of the remaining top 1% will receive more than $23,000. Altogether, the top 1% will receive $51 billion in benefits in just one year. Congressional Republicans chose to finance these tax breaks with cuts to health care and SNAP, while also voting for tariffs that are raising the cost of everyday necessities for the working families.
“Firefighters, teachers, truck drivers, retail workers, health care workers, and millions of other hardworking families want their leaders to invest in them, not give handouts to those who need them least,” said Unrig Our Economy Campaign Director Leor Tal. “Instead, congressional Republicans chose to back tariffs and give tax breaks to the wealthiest while asking working families to pay the price. It’s time for congressional Republicans to stop putting billionaires first and start fighting for people who keep this country running.”
Joint Economic Committee – Minority (JEC): Tax and Tariff Impacts in 2026 by Occupation and Income
Key Points:
- The Committee found that even after the Supreme Court blocked some of Trump’s tariffs, working families continue to pay the price for Trump’s remaining tariffs. Workers across sectors – including public safety, manufacturing, and health care – lose hundreds of dollars in 2026 because of the combined impacts of Trump’s tax and tariff actions.
- These new Committee estimates show that by the end of the year, the total annual loss for home health aides and nursing assistants will be $860, for retail sales workers $800, and firefighters $270. Workers in the office and administrative support sector will lose more than $600 by the end of 2026.
- Meanwhile, the typical earner at the very top of the income ladder will see a windfall; someone in the top 0.1% will get a new tax break of nearly $200,000 this year.
- For the more than 17 million Americans working in office and administrative support jobs, the President’s tax and tariff policies will cost a typical worker more than $600 in 2026. For the more than 13 million Americans working in food preparation and service, a typical worker will lose about $820 in 2026. A typical worker in these jobs will lose about $270 by the end of 2026.
- The Republican tax bill gives the average member of the top 0.1% a $200,000 benefit, and gives the average member of the remaining top 1% a more than $23,000 benefit. In total, this means that in just one year, the top 0.1% gets $26 billion in benefits from Trump’s tax and tariff policies, and the remainder of the top 1% gets about a $25 billion windfall.
- Trump and Congressional Republicans’ tax bill pays for these giveaways at the top with cuts to health care and with an increase of more than $1 trillion in the federal deficit over 10 years, to reach $3.1 trillion by 2036 – which will leave working families worse off and our country burdened with even more debt.
To learn more about the campaign, visit UnrigOurEconomy.com or contact press@unrigoureconomy.com
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About Unrig Our Economy
Unrig Our Economy is a national campaign to fix the rules of our economy to make it work for working people. We know that when the middle class does well, all of us do well — which is why we’re fighting on behalf of working Americans and holding corporations, their wealthy executives, and the politicians who enable them accountable.