Private equity in U.S. manufacturing
To download a PDF version of this report, click here. Introduction The manufacturing sector is key to the United States economy, accounting for 10.2 percent of the country’s…
Explore the issues
Find more information on the issues deeply affected by private equity investments:
Behind the Harvest: Private Equity and Worker Safety at Grimmway Farms
To download a PDF version of this report, click here. Introduction Grimmway Farms is the largest carrot grower in the world, growing through acquiring smaller operations since the 1990s…
Private Equity in Michigan Childcare and K-12 Education
Private equity firms control at least 160 childcare centers in Michigan, receive millions of dollars through K-12 outsourcing contracts, and are positioned to benefit from new education funding streams. A new report from the Private Equity Stakeholder…
Wall Street in the Wolverine State: How Private Equity Is Affecting Workers, Healthcare, Housing, and Communities
To download a PDF version of this report, click here. Introduction Private equity firms have become increasingly influential in Michigan’s economy. These firms raise money from institutional investors such as pension funds, university…
Venture Capital and Private Equity Dominate LAUSD Contracts
To download a PDF version of this report, click here. Executive Summary The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is the second-largest district in the United States, serving more than 440,000 students each…
Private Equity Bankruptcy Tracker
PESP has released the Private Equity Bankruptcy Tracker A running list of U.S. bankruptcies connected to private equity Updated February 20, 2026 For data on 2024 PE-connected bankruptcies, click here. Key Findings Disproportionate Role in Bankruptcies and Distressed…
Private equity lags stocks for retail investors
Private equity funds for retail investors dramatically underperformed stocks in 2025 despite charging much higher fees Private equity seeking DOL safe harbor against 401K lawsuits over fees, performance As the private equity industry is asking the Trump Administration to provide…
Spending More, Serving Less: The High Cost of Private Equity in Special Education
To download a PDF version of this report, click here. West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD), in the San Francisco Bay Area, has more than doubled its spending on outside vendors and contractors…
KKR and the Pitfalls of the Leveraged Buyout
KKR helped invent the leveraged buyout, and today, its model continues to extract value at the expense of workers, patients, and communities. Despite public commitments to employee ownership and responsible investment, KKR-owned companies have faced repeated labor violations,…
Private Equity in Public Schools: Outsourcing in K-12 Education
To download a PDF version of this report, click here. With the Trump Administration’s recent executive order to dismantle the Department of Education, public education in the United States faces a host of challenges. Though…
Working Through the Pain: ASL interpreters sacrifice their physical and mental health at large corporate firms
To download a PDF version of this report, click here. American Sign Language (ASL) interpreting is harder than most people think, if they have ever thought about it at all. Listening to someone speak English…
Betting the farm: Private equity buyouts in US agriculture
To download a PDF version of this report, click here. Key Takeaways Agriculture plays an important role in the US economy as both an employer, economic generator, and key part of…
