Overview

People’s access to opportunity and advancement in the labor market is shaped by macroeconomic forces, technological change, policy choices, and labor market dynamics. Over the past 40 years, these influences have culminated in greater income inequality and less upward economic mobility for US workers. They have also contributed to a growing share of low-wage jobs in the US labor market. WorkRise generates evidence on and elevates our understanding of how macroeconomic, technological change, policy, and labor market dynamics influence economic security and mobility.

Working Knowledge

In Depth

Economic context Feature October 02, 2023

Who Is the Low-Wage Workforce?

WorkRise Research

October 02, 2023
Economic context August 02, 2023
Research Summary

US Tax Systems Perpetuate Racial Wealth Gap

Persistent income disparities between racial groups are evident – in 2022, Black men were paid 70% of the wages received by white men on average, while Black women received only 61% of the income compared to their white male counterparts.1

Oluwasekemi Odumosu

August 02, 2023
Economic context June 01, 2023
Article

Young workers’ economic mobility has improved since the start of the pandemic, but work remains to solidify these gains

Research shows that young workers have seen significant gains in their employment prospects since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Joe Peck

June 01, 2023
Economic context May 03, 2023
Research Summary

Tighter Labor Markets Boost Occupational Mobility for Workers in Low-Quality Jobs

A recent Cleveland Fed study finds that tighter labor markets facilitate job upgrading, boosting upward mobility and access to good jobs for workers in low-quality occupations.

Andrew Boardman

May 03, 2023

Research

Workers talking in factory
Economic context Last updated on July 09, 2024

Expanding Worker Opportunities Through Evidence: WorkRise Impact Report 2023

By bridging knowledge gaps and forging multi-stakeholder partnerships among employers, worker advocates, policymakers, and practitioners, WorkRise is meaningfully improving economic mobility for lower-wage workers. Our 2023 Impact Report shares more about how we lead with rigorous yet actionable research and get it into the hands of the change makers best positioned to act on it.
Last updated on July 09, 2024
Economic context Report Last updated on May 14, 2024

Aligning Workforce and Economic Development to Benefit Workers

In this report, WorkRise examines what we know about the impacts of the workforce development and economic development fields and their implications for equitable economic outcomes for low-wage workers, especially Black individuals and other people of color who have faced systematic challenges in economic mobility.

Mark Treskon, Jonathan Morgan, Shubhangi Kumari, John Quinterno

WorkRise Research

Last updated on May 14, 2024
Economic context Report November 20, 2023

Quantifying the Costs of Rising Unemployment

Rising unemployment brings significant costs to workers, their families, social outcomes, and the economy at-large. The contemporary tight labor market provides a good opportunity for researchers to better understand the benefits of low unemployment and thus the risks of high unemployment.

Joe Peck

WorkRise Research

November 20, 2023
Economic context Infographic September 12, 2023

Leveraging Federal Funds to Create Quality Jobs

Do you want better jobs for your community? Through new federal dollars, state and local policymakers have a once-in-a-generation chance to build a new and thriving workforce.

Pamela J. Loprest , Todd Greene, Ryan Kelsey

WorkRise Research

September 12, 2023
Economic context Executive Summary March 15, 2023

How Past Criminal Convictions Bar Floridians from Occupational Licensing Opportunities

In this report, the Florida Policy Institute and the DeVoe L. Moore Center at Florida State University highlight research exploring the relationship between occupational licensing and recidivism and the consequences of overregulation on workforce development. The authors also survey the landscape of Florida’s occupational licensing laws and policy reform efforts and present policy proposals to reduce professional licensing barriers for people with criminal records.

Tachana Joseph-Marc, Samuel R. Staley

Grantee Research

March 15, 2023


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