WorkRise Awards $3 Million to Advance Worker Mobility
The projects selected build on foundations laid through previous research investments from WorkRise and break new ground in emerging areas of focus, particularly in small business practices.
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The projects selected build on foundations laid through previous research investments from WorkRise and break new ground in emerging areas of focus, particularly in small business practices.
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
Skills and training
September 26, 2023The Impact of Student Debt on the Low-Wage Workforce
Student loan debt has a negative impact on labor market outcomes and economic mobility, with disparate economic impacts for low-wealth households. Burdens fall more heavily on Black and Latinx borrowers and those who did not complete their degree.
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The Latest
Social determinants of work
October 03, 2023
Article
How Diversity Policies Shape the US Labor Market
In wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to ban affirmative action in higher education, this article aims to address the potential consequences by examining the economic effectiveness of affirmative action, exploring its achievements and critiques, as well as the implications of race-neutral policies in promoting equity in the labor market.
Skills and training
September 26, 2023
Article
The Impact of Student Debt on the Low-Wage Workforce
Student loan debt has a negative impact on labor market outcomes and economic mobility, with disparate economic impacts for low-wealth households. Burdens fall more heavily on Black and Latinx borrowers and those who did not complete their degree.
Research
Skills and training
Executive Summary
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.
Grantee Research
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.
Grantee Research
Worker voice, representation, and power
Executive Summary
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.
Grantee Research
Employer practices
Report
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.
Grantee Research