Grantmaking and Partnerships

Led by a cross-sector Leadership Board that is ideologically diverse and representative of often-siloed groups, WorkRise invests in research on policies, programs, and practices that have the potential to accelerate economic security and mobility for low-wage workers. We fund analyses and the creation of data that shed light on labor market barriers, trends, and opportunities. And we engage in strategic partnerships that help advance evidence-based solutions in support of our mission. Learn more about our most recent request for proposals and how you can collaborate with WorkRise.

The Latest
Portrait of Two Heavy Industry Employees in Hard Hats at Factory

Wages and employer-provided benefits

Tuesday, April 4, 2023

Challenges and Opportunities: How Tight Labor Markets Create Mobility Ladders for Workers and Low-Income Families

Unemployment in the United States remains historically low, and today’s tight labor market has translated into…

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A fast food worker with a mask on working in the drive through window.

Worker voice, representation, and power

January 17, 2023

California’s FAST Act Offers a Window on How Worker Standards Boards Could Improve Job Quality in the Fast Food Industry

A new California law establishes a 10-person council of fast food employers, workers, and advocates as well as government regulators to set wages and other workplace standards.
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Female engineer showing the production plan to a worker on her digital tablet. Supervisor and female worker looking at digital tablet and discussing work in factory shop floor.

Worker voice, representation, and power

Tuesday, October 18, 2022

Charting a Resilient Future for US Workers: Solutions to Navigate an Uncertain Economy

View event recordings below.

Amid seismic economic shifts, workers and families have experienced highs and lows. The COVID-19 pandemic dealt a once-in-a-lifetime economic shock, followed by a robust government…

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Working Knowledge

The Latest

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
Skills and training May 10, 2023
Article

Strategies for Success: Investing in Child Care and Employer-Led Workforce Development

The US needs greater investment in workforce development that aligns with what local employers needs, notes Cheryl Oldham, who leads workforce and education programs at the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

Elizabeth Vivirito

May 10, 2023
Skills and training May 24, 2023
Article

Can Community Colleges Rebuild the Middle Class?

WorkRise Leadership Board Member Eduardo Padrón makes the case that community college should be free to all and that lifelong learning is here to stay.

Elizabeth Vivirito

May 24, 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

Skills and training April 03, 2023

Navigating Public Job Training

Right now, more than 75,000 Eligible Training Provider (ETP) job programs are eligible for funding under America’s primary federal workforce development law, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). How well do these public investments prepare workers for high-quality jobs? In this analysis, authors combine training provider and program data from the US Department of Labor with performance records and occupational data to study the types of providers receiving WIOA funding and the kinds of jobs for which they offer training. The report also reviews websites for all 50 states to understand how easily potential job trainees can access information on these programs.

David Deming, Alexis Gable, Rachel Lipson, Arkādijs Zvaigzne

April 03, 2023
State and local policy 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

March 15, 2023
Worker voice, representation, and power March 13, 2023

Nailing New Labor Models: Exploring Sectoral Bargaining and High-Road Training Partnerships in the Nail Salon Sector

This report from the California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative and the UCLA Labor Center explores how partnerships and sectoral boards can build a sustainable and equitable nail salon industry, focusing on two approaches from other sectors. High-road training partnerships and sectoral bargaining approaches can be adapted for nail salons but require distinct interventions and capacities for member participation.

UCLA Labor Center, California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative, California State University, Long Beach

March 13, 2023
Employer practices December 10, 2022

The National Study of Workplace Equity

The National Study of Workplace Equity surveyed just over 1,000 workplaces to find that equity is inconsistently implemented across employment systems. Researchers from the Boston College School of Social Work and Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) find that equity is strongest in recruitment and hiring, compensation and benefits, and orientation and onboarding.

Samuel L. Bradley, Jr., Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes, Kathleen Christensen

December 10, 2022
Employer practices December 10, 2022

Executive Summary: The National Study of Workplace Equity

In a new study, researchers from Work Equity, an initiative at the Boston College School of Social Work, and SHRM find that much progress needs to be made on equity across the employment lifecycle. Based on a survey of just over 1,000 workplaces, researchers find that equity is implemented inconsistently across 10 discrete employment systems.

Samuel L. Bradley, Jr., Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes, Kathleen Christensen

December 10, 2022

WorkRise is Growing

We have a number of opportunities to join our team! Applications will be accepted on a rolling bases via the Urban Careers website.

Positions include: