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
Employer practices Wednesday, December 18, 2024

How Businesses Can Advance Manufacturing's Future through Collaboration with Workers

Right now, US manufacturers face real challenges meeting their workforce needs. But with innovations in how jobs are designed—such as…

Wednesday, December 18, 2024

In Depth

Illustration of people of different ethnicities
Worker voice, representation, and power Feature Last updated on October 24, 2024

Segregation in the Low-Wage Workforce

Over the past 50 years, the composition of the low-wage workforce has changed: more than half of low-wage workers are now people of color, up from just 20 percent in 1971. Today, Black, Latino, and women workers are more likely to be segregated into worse-quality and lower-paying jobs.

WorkRise Research

Last updated on October 24, 2024
African American technician worker holds part of robotic arm
Employer practices Last updated on November 19, 2024
Video

WorkRise Shorts: Overcoming Racial Disparities in Manufacturing Recruitment and Training Programs

Can a new local manufacturing workforce development program that targets workers who are not traditionally engaged in the sector overcome racial disparities in its hiring and wage rates?
Last updated on November 19, 2024
Working Knowledge

The Latest

Employer practices February 27, 2024
Article

How Companies Can Modernize Their Approach to CSR: Strategies for a Successful Company, Workforce, and Society

This piece offers strategies to navigate the evolving landscape of corporate social responsibility in light of societal demands for more human-centered interventions.

Oluwasekemi Odumosu

February 27, 2024
Job search and matching February 13, 2024
Research Summary

Minimum Wages Create Opportunities for Good Jobs and Better Business Productivity

Research on minimum wages in the United States finds that, contrary to frequent arguments against these policies, they often raise wages, moving low-wage workers into better jobs and benefiting companies’ productivity.

Joe Peck

February 13, 2024
Job search and matching February 06, 2024
Research Summary

The Digital Divide in Job Hunting

Socioeconomic factors and gaps in digital skills impact who uses social media to look for jobs. Older workers and low-income individuals are less likely to have the technological literacy or digital access to look for jobs online, while digital skills and use of social media across racial and ethnic groups are varied.

Annabel Stattelman Scanlan

February 06, 2024
Worker voice, representation, and power January 30, 2024
Research Summary

Sexual Harassment Is Underreported When the US Economy and Safety Net Are Weak

When the US unemployment rate is high and unemployment insurance benefits are weak, workers are less likely to report workplace sexual harassment. Fears of retaliation increase workers’ reluctance to report sexual harassment, reducing worker protections and worker power in the labor market.

Madeline Baxter

January 30, 2024

Research

Job search and matching Executive Summary January 14, 2022

Rise with the STARs

New research from WorkRise grantee Opportunity@Work demonstrates the harm and exclusion workers without four-year degrees who are “skilled through alternative routes” (STARs) experience in the labor market.

Papia Debroy, Justin Heck

Grantee Research

January 14, 2022
Employer practices Report July 01, 2021

Skills, Degrees, and Labor Market Inequality

In a National Bureau of Economic Research working paper, researchers demonstrate that workers with college degrees have dramatically better access to higher-wage occupations where the skill requirements exceed the workers’ observed skill compared to workers without degrees.

Peter Q. Blair, Papia Debroy, Justin Heck

Grantee Research

July 01, 2021
Employer practices Brief October 07, 2020

The Challenge of Slow Wage Growth

Because of sluggish wage growth, middle- and low-wage workers in the United States are today doing little better in real terms than similarly situated workers 40 years ago, exacerbating economic burdens experienced by workers during the current COVID-19 crisis. This brief examines the evidence on wage growth for the typical worker over several decades and concludes that efforts to rebuild the U.S. labor market must include policies to accelerate wage growth.

William J. Congdon

WorkRise Research

October 07, 2020
Economic context Brief September 28, 2020

Racial Inequality in the Labor Market and Employment Opportunities

This brief explores the persistent inequities and disparities in outcomes experienced by people of color in the U.S. labor market through key data points, delves into root causes based on a review of the evidence, and identifies key gaps in our knowledge of why and how labor market inequality endures.

K. Steven Brown

WorkRise Research

September 28, 2020