Labor Markets

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  • Woman wearing a virtual reality headset to explore a mechanical engineering project, photo by Fat Camera/Getty Images

    Essay

    The Digital Skills Gap: What Workers Need for the Jobs of the Future

    Business leaders have warned for years that what they see on job applications does not match what they need in new employees. There are not enough workers with the right digital skills. And as the world economy struggles to its feet after COVID-19, that skills gap threatens to keep pushing it down.

    Mar 1, 2022

  • A parent of two students works as a substitute teacher at the Austin Jewish Academy as the spread of the Omicron variant leads to teacher shortages in Austin, Texas, January 20, 2022, photo by Callaghan O'Hare/Reuters

    Report

    School Staffing Challenges in the Pandemic's Third Year

    As of fall 2021, school staff shortages were most acute for substitutes, bus drivers, special education teachers, and paraprofessionals. The turnover of superintendents was normal but half of them said that they might leave in the next few years or were unsure of how long they would stay.

    Feb 15, 2022

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  • RAND Weekly Recap

    Blog

    Reflecting on the Pandemic, RAND Turns 75, Labor Trafficking: RAND Weekly Recap

    This weekly recap focuses on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, 75 years of influential RAND research, reducing labor trafficking in the United States, and more.

    May 12, 2023

  • Hands of a young girl using a sewing machine in a workshop, photo by Thanaphong Araveeporn/Getty Images

    Research Brief

    Labor Trafficking in the United States

    The U.S. Department of State has estimated that 14,500 to 17,500 people are trafficked into the United States each year to perform bonded or forced labor. The dimensions of this problem are growing, making it more challenging to study and address.

    May 9, 2023

  • A worker applies a skim coat of mortar to a wall (cover of RAND RR-A1681-1)

    Report

    Current and Future Research on Labor Trafficking in the United States

    Reducing the prevalence of human trafficking is a national priority. In this report, researchers recommend a research agenda for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to address labor trafficking policy and enforcement.

    May 9, 2023

  • Journal Article

    Journal Article

    Productivity Institute Programme: Evaluation Framework and Baseline Report

    This report sets out the findings of the first phase of an evaluation of the 2019 Productivity Institute Programme, comprising The Productivity Institute, the Programme on Innovation and Diffusion and the thematic investments.

    Apr 14, 2023

  • Potential U.S. Army recruits listen to a drill sergeant talk about barracks life and other aspects of undergoing Army basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia, October 26, 2019, photo by U.S. Army

    Commentary

    The Army Should Be Looking for a Few Older Soldiers

    Recruiting older people to enlist in the Army could help increase numbers, quality, and talent. Individuals who enlist over the age of 21 perform better as soldiers on several metrics. Recruiters have noted that older recruits are of higher quality, more focused, and more motivated.

    Apr 7, 2023

  • One person on an Army uniform and one in plain clothes hold papers while standing in front of a table at a job fair. Other people in a mix of Army uniforms and plain clothes are also attending the job fair in the background.

    Report

    Veterans' Employment During Recessions

    Veterans and nonveterans have different employment support needs and are affected differently by recessions. Understanding these differences can help veterans, employers, policymakers, and veteran-serving organizations prepare for economic shocks and uncertainty.

    Mar 29, 2023

  • Periodical

    Periodical

    RAND Review: March-April 2023

    The cover story describes how K-12 schools can build trust with students to increase threat reporting and strengthen school safety. The Q&A with Ashley Woo explores how restrictions on race- and gender-related topics are affecting teachers.

    Mar 22, 2023

  • Woman with a mask and an apron sitting in a chair in a closed restaurant, photo by RainStar/Getty Images

    Journal Article

    The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Workers with a Criminal History

    In this article, we use data from the NLSY97 COVID-19 Supplement to examine the extent to which workers with a criminal history record had employment disruptions during the early months of the pandemic.

    Feb 14, 2023

  • Tool

    Tool

    Science and Technology-Focused Postsecondary Options in the Pittsburgh Area

    RAND researchers compiled a list of science- and technology-focused (STF) providers and programs in the Pittsburgh area. Potential students can filter the list to find out which types of degrees or certificates can be earned in which STF fields.

    Jan 9, 2023

  • Two scientists working in a laboratory, photo by poba/Getty Images

    Report

    Pittsburgh's Science- and Technology-Focused Workforce

    About 18 percent of Pittsburgh's employment is in science- and technology-focused occupations, and the growth rate suggests the need for more workers in the future. What investments and policy changes could safeguard the region's strengths and support it as a flourishing science and technology hub?

    Jan 9, 2023

  • News Release

    News Release

    Pittsburgh Science and Technology Sector Is Large, but Faces Challenges; Improvements Needed to Continue to Flourish

    The Pittsburgh region has a robust science and technology sector that is larger than the national average, but action is needed to safeguard the region's strengths and further its ability to compete with other technology hubs.

    Jan 9, 2023

  • Kathy Spencer sorts the dozens of pills she must take since contracting COVID-19 in November 2020, in Kensington, Connecticut, January 11, 2022, photo by Mark Mirko/TNS/ABACA via Reuters Connect

    Commentary

    Long COVID Is a Mass Disability. The Labor Market Is in Denial

    Forget the work-from-home revolution or quiet quitting: The COVID-19 pandemic's biggest impact on the U.S. labor market will be as a mass disability event. It's a shock that the economy is not well prepared to handle.

    Dec 7, 2022

  • A pedestrian passes a help wanted sign in the door of a hardware store in Cambridge, Massachusetts, July 8, 2022, photo by Brian Snyder/Reuters

    Commentary

    How COVID-19 Transformed the Jobs Market

    The COVID-19 pandemic initially devastated the U.S. economy. It also exposed and exacerbated existing inequities in society. But in as yet unpredictable ways, it may have accelerated profound changes in how labor works today.

    Dec 1, 2022

  • Workers build a new apartment building in Los Angeles, California, July 30, 2018, photo by Lucy Nicholson/Reuters

    Commentary

    Measure ULA Reflects the Wrong Lessons from Proposition HHH

    Los Angeles voters approved the so-called “mansion tax,” Measure ULA, which proponents suggested will raise funds for about 26,000 new units of affordable housing over the next decade. But a key labor provision casts doubt on that optimistic projection.

    Nov 28, 2022

  • Buildings equipped with photovoltaic panels, storage batteries, rainwater and wastewater recovery systems welcomed the first inhabitants in 2020, in Grenoble, France, photo by Joao Luiz Bulcao/Hans Lucas via Reuters

    Commentary

    Green Jobs and Skills Development for Disadvantaged Groups

    Many countries have plans to increase green job opportunities. To make sure that everyone can benefit from this promised green transition, it is important to understand how people with low qualifications, and other marginalised groups, might be able to access green jobs.

    Nov 8, 2022

  • Person collecting water in a vial for a test, photo by BrianAJackson/Getty Images

    News Release

    Disadvantaged Groups Could Fall Further Behind in the Emerging Green Economy

    A new report from RAND Europe shows that disadvantaged groups risk being left behind in the growing movement across Europe to increase job opportunities that benefit the environment—or “green the economy”—unless local leaders take concerted action to make sure such job opportunities are more inclusive.

    Oct 27, 2022

  • View of a rooftop solar power plant with man walking and examining photovoltaic panels

    Research Brief

    A long road to just transitions: Limited green job opportunities for disadvantaged groups

    RAND Europe, with support from JPMorgan Chase, explored the current situation of green opportunities for disadvantaged groups, in particular for people with low qualifications, in 10 European Regions.

    Oct 26, 2022

  • Report

    Report

    Green jobs and skills development for disadvantaged groups

    This report explored green jobs and skills development for people from disadvantaged groups in 10 European cities.

    Oct 26, 2022

  • And early care and education program, photo courtesy of Hawai'i Public Radio

    Report

    Early Childhood Educators in Hawai'i

    A diverse, well-supported, and well-compensated workforce is essential for the delivery of high-quality early care and education (ECE) programs. What does the employment landscape look like for the ECE workforce in Hawai'i and what policy strategies can improve their compensation and working conditions?

    Oct 25, 2022

  • RAND Weekly Recap

    Blog

    Legalizing Cannabis, the Russian Nuclear Threat, Digital Offshoring: RAND Weekly Recap

    This weekly recap focuses on cannabis legalization, the Russian nuclear threat, the effects of digital offshoring, and more.

    Oct 14, 2022

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