Mixed signals for the economy and low-wage workers in particular—higher wages but also growing inflation—pose thorny trade-offs for policymakers and raise important questions to be prioritized in future research.

In this month’s New and Noteworthy column, we explore new evidence on persistent racial equity gaps in the unemployment insurance (UI) system.

A deeper understanding of work through a vulnerability framework can help shape policies and practices to mitigate harms and strengthen supports for workers, regardless of their employment status.