Many workers in the US experience limited opportunities and are over- or underrepresented in certain kinds of jobs because of occupational segregation and discrimination.

People’s access to opportunity and advancement in the labor market is shaped by macroeconomic forces, technological change, policy choices, and labor market dynamics.

Employer practices such as hiring, scheduling, promotion, supervision, and on-the-job training determine workers’ day-to-day reality and long-term prospects in the labor market.

The federal government has a significant influence on shaping workers’ economic mobility and security.

Savings, asset-building, and access to credit play a significant role in driving upward economic mobility, particularly across generations.

Where people live can expand or limit their economic mobility. And labor market conditions vary considerably by locality.

How people search for and match to jobs reflects how well the labor market is functioning for both workers and employers.

Human capital development—or people’s ability to acquire skills and knowledge through education and training—advances workers’ economic opportunity and strengthens employers and the economy.

Small businesses employ a significant share of the workforce and have been engines of wealth and prosperity, particularly for communities of color.

WorkRise engages a diverse group of stakeholders to inform our strategy and carry out our mission of rebuilding a more equitable labor market so that all workers have access to opportunity and upward mobility.

States and localities shape workers’ economic mobility and security through a number of channels.

Social factors outside of work have profound effects on people’s ability to navigate and achieve upward mobility in the labor market.

Wages and employer-provided benefits such as health insurance, paid leave, and retirement savings are fundamental components of job quality.

Unions, collective bargaining, and other forms of advocacy have resulted in better wages, benefits, and working conditions for workers.