Analysis by expert reveals growing strain of tariffs on low-wage workers

Lisa Countryman-Quiroz, CEO of JVS Bay Area, has a front-row seat to the unfolding disruption, and she’s not holding back in her assessment of the toll these policies could take.

JVS, for those unfamiliar, is a nonprofit focused on bridging employment gaps and building career pathways for those who have traditionally been left out of the economic mainstream. With a legacy stretching back 50 years and a track record of helping over 100,000 people into better-paid roles, the organization is now raising the alarm about how macroeconomic shocks (including tariffs) are compounding challenges for the American workforce.

Inflation, layoffs and the impact of tariffs

For Countryman-Quiroz, the effect of tariffs on workers is plain to see, and stark in its implications for low-wage earners.

“Tariffs act as a regressive tax hike on working people, raising prices while also putting jobs at risk,” she says. “Many economists expect these tariffs to drive both inflation and job losses. Industries that were already experiencing layoffs or volatility are likely to be further destabilized, especially if they depend on foreign imports.