Employ America is a left-of-center economic policy advocacy organization that promotes macroeconomic, fiscal, and monetary policies that it believes will lead to tighter labor markets. ¹

Employ America has advocated on Federal Reserve policy, ² supported the expansion of the money supply during the COVID-19 pandemic, ² and supported the Biden administration’s U.S. Department of Energy’s efforts to drain the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to temporarily lower gasoline prices in 2022. ³

History and Leadership

Employ America was founded in 2019 ⁴ by Sam Bell, who has consulted with the left-of-center Open Philanthropy Project and its grantee, Fed Up. ⁵ Employ America received tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service in June 2019. ⁶

As of June 2024, Skanda Amarnath is the executive director of Employ America. He is also the executive director of the Employ America Action Fund, a sister organization of Employ America. ⁷

Arnab Datta is Employ America’s managing director of policy implementation. Prior to joining Employ America, he worked in the office of U.S. Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO). ¹

Activities and Funding

Employ America advocates for tight labor markets to raise wages and bargaining power for American workers. The organization asserts that there are unjust employment disparities across race, gender, and abilities in the United States. ¹

Employ America’s advocacy efforts focus on Federal Reserve policies and personnel, advocacy for fiscal policies it believes support high employment and investment, and industrial policies that Employ America believes lower inflation and strengthen economic growth. ⁸ In 2022, Employ America spent $523,973 on operating expenses, including advocacy efforts on macroeconomic issues. ⁹

Employ America has urged the Federal Reserve to change its interest rate-setting policies ¹⁰ and supported the expansion of the money supply in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic similar. Employ America executive director Skanda Amarnath made several media appearances during this time to support the Federal Reserve’s quantitative easing policies. ²

Employ America also supports various policy changes at the U.S. Department of Energy. In 2022, the organization advocated releases of petroleum from the American Strategic Petroleum Reserve to temporarily lower gasoline prices in the United States. Subsequently, the Biden administration pursued policies that mirrored Employ America’s suggestions. ³

Employ America also sought to prevent gasoline prices from falling so much that consumers would resist Biden administration efforts to convert to weather-dependent energy. ³ The organization has supported the creation of markets for weather-dependent energy at the Department of Energy’s Loan Program Office. ¹¹

The Employ America Action Fund is the 501(c)(4) sister organization of Employ America. ¹²

Funding

Employ America receives its funding from individual contributions and grants. ¹³ In 2022, Employ America reported revenue of $756,726 and expenses of $675,901. In 2021, the organization reported revenue of $754,025 and expenses of $479,423. ¹⁴

In 2022, Employ America received $750,000 from Good Ventures for one year of general operating support. ⁵ Employ America received $1,250,000 from the left-of-center Open Philanthropy Project for operating expenses in May 2021. ¹⁵

Employ America also received grants of $300,000 from the Open Philanthropy Project ¹⁶ and $150,000 from Good Ventures in 2019. ¹⁷

1. “About Us.” Employ America. Accessed June 1, 2024. https://www.employamerica.org/about/.
2. Matthews, Dylan. “Skanda Amarnath is figuring out how to fight inflation while keeping people employed.” Vox. October 20, 2022. Accessed June 1, 2024. https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/23364057/future-perfect-50-skanda-amarnath-executive-director-employ-america.
3.  “The Biden Administration Has the Power “Administrative Authority to Address the Crisis in Oil Supply Right Now.” Employ America. Marcy 9, 2022. Accessed June 1, 2024. https://www.employamerica.org/researchreports/spr-esf-dpa/.
4. “Employ America.” Crunchbase. Accessed June 1, 2024. https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/employ-america.
5. “Employ America – Exit Grant.” Good Ventures. Accessed June 1, 2024. https://www.goodventures.org/our-portfolio/grants/employ-america-exit-grant/.
6. “Notice of Determination.” Department of Treasury. Internal Revenue Service. June 2019. Accessed June 1, 2024. https://apps.irs.gov/pub/epostcard/dl/FinalLetter_83-3751852_EMPLOYAMERICA_05132019_01.tif.
7. “X Post.” Sam_A_Bell X Profile. Posted June 18, 2021. Accessed June 1, 2024. https://x.com/sam_a_bell/status/1405896045779996682.
8. “We’re About Full Employment.” Employ America. Accessed June 1, 2024. https://www.employamerica.org/
9. “Employ America.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2022. Part III. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/833751852/202333049349302073/full.
10. Smialek, Jeanna. “Trump Isn’t Alone. These Millennials on the Left Want Low Interest Rates, Too.” New York Times. June 12, 2019. Accessed via Web Archive June 1, 2024. https://archive.ph/JUAWg.
11. “Making the Market: DOE Can Secure Our Supply Chain with Financial Innovation “ Employ America. Accessed June 1, 2024. https://www.employamerica.org/researchreports/making-the-market-doe-can-secure-our-supply-chain-with-financial-innovation/.
12. “About.” Employ America Action Fund X Profile. Accessed June 2, 2024. https://x.com/EmployAmericaAF.
13. “Donate.” Employ America. Accessed June 1, 2024. https://donate.stripe.com/5kA015fxD6I862IcMY.
14.  “Employ America.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2022. Part I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/833751852/202333049349302073/full.
15. “Employ America – General Support.” Good Ventures. May 2021. Accessed June 1, 2024. https://www.openphilanthropy.org/grants/employ-america-general-support-2021/.
16. “Employ America – General Support.” Open Philanthropy. April 2019. Accessed June 1, 2024. https://www.openphilanthropy.org/grants/employ-america-general-support-april-2019/.
17. “Employ America – General Support.” Good Ventures. April 2019. Accessed June 1, 2024. https://www.goodventures.org/our-portfolio/grants/employ-america-general-support/.