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

In Depth

Social determinants of work

October 02, 2023

Who Is the Low-Wage Workforce?

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In Depth

Social determinants of work

October 02, 2023

Where Is the Low-Wage Workforce?

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Skills and training

September 26, 2023

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.
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Working Knowledge

The Latest

Job search and matching March 12, 2024
Research Summary

Self-Employment Savvy: The Relationship between Financial Literacy and Working Independently

Individuals with higher levels of financial literacy are more likely to work for themselves than participate in traditional employment, no matter their race or ethnicity. This relationship is even stronger for women, demonstrating the importance of financial education and confidence-building in an economy where non-White and female workers face significant barriers to self-employment.

Annabel Stattelman Scanlan

March 12, 2024
Job search and matching March 05, 2024
Video

WorkRise Shorts: “Whole Human Hiring” Practices in the Workplace, with Clayton Lord

March 05, 2024
Social determinants of work March 05, 2024
Article

Move to Opportunity or Invest Locally: What helps workers get ahead?

Federal, state, and local investment in underresourced communities is more effective in improving low-wage workers’ economic mobility than moving them to well-funded communities.

Oluwasekemi Odumosu

March 05, 2024
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Skills and training February 27, 2024
Video

WorkRise Shorts: Perspectives on Learning and Employment Records, with Jhacole LeGrand-Dunn

How can a learning and employment record, a new kind of credentialing tool, promote greater equity in the US jobs market? Answering this question is Jhacole LeGrand-Dunn, Senior Director, Pathways, at Digital Promise, and a member of the Retail Opportunity Network, a community of leaders focused on upskilling and economic mobility. LeGrand-Dunn explains how learning and employment records can open up more pathways to access to jobs and enable more equitable access to jobs.
February 27, 2024

Research

Employer practices Executive Summary December 13, 2023

Temporary Staffing Industry Testing Report

The temporary staffing industry is a $186 billion sector. The National Legal Advocacy Network team used matched-pair testing in Harris County, Texas, and Nashville, Tennessee, to generate evidence on potentially unlawful employment practices in this industry and found widespread racial and gender discrimination in access to work. These tests showed that agencies offered fewer job opportunities, lower wages, and less frequent follow-ups to workers who were women and/or Black than they did to Latinx workers and men.

Grantee Research

December 13, 2023
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
Skills and training Executive Summary November 15, 2023

The Workforce Almanac: A System-Level View of US Workforce Training Providers

This working paper describes the Workforce Almanac, a first-of-its-kind effort to understand workforce training at a systemwide level. The Almanac is an open-source directory of nearly 17,000 workforce training providers across the United States. This database offers the most comprehensive view to date of US workforce training providers and includes information such as provider names, locations, and types.

Grantee Research

November 15, 2023
Employer practices Executive Summary October 18, 2023

Who Has Access to Paid Sick and Safe Leave?

A new report by Family Values at Work and World Policy Analysis Center charts access to paid sick and safe leave in the US and identifies the most equitable policies in effect.

Grantee Research

October 18, 2023