Overview

Younger workers want to secure meaningful opportunities in the labor market, yet they often face challenges such as unstable job prospects, wage stagnation, and limited career advancement. As industries such as health care and energy grow, their need for new workers becomes increasingly urgent. Young workers, particularly those ages 18 to 24, represent a valuable talent pool capable of driving these sectors forward, but many available jobs fall short of providing the skill development, career pathways, and job quality necessary for them to thrive.

 

New evidence can inform how employers, policymakers, workforce practitioners, and advocates design quality jobs and career pathways that provide young workers with training and support that match their specific abilities and needs. Attracting and retaining a new generation of workers is critical for young workers and employers alike.

Featured Content
Skills and training, Young workers 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.
September 26, 2023
Two multiracial young women working in a clothing store behind the checkout counter
Economic context, Young workers Last updated on January 07, 2025
Video

WorkRise Shorts: Disaggregating Minimum Wage: Impacts on Younger Workers with Jennie Romich

How does a $15-an-hour minimum wage affect younger workers entering the labor market?
Last updated on January 07, 2025
Employer practices, Young workers Last updated on October 08, 2024
Research Summary

Young Workers Need Support When They Can't Find Their Footing in the US Workforce

During recessions, young workers are less likely to find work and face lower wage growth than more experienced workers. Unemployment Insurance could be reformed to support these young workers as they navigate the labor market amid economic downturns at foundational times in their careers, alongside other policy tools that can be effective in these instances.
Last updated on October 08, 2024

Latest Content

Two multiracial young women working in a clothing store behind the checkout counter
Economic context, Young workers Last updated on January 07, 2025
Video

WorkRise Shorts: Disaggregating Minimum Wage: Impacts on Younger Workers with Jennie Romich

How does a $15-an-hour minimum wage affect younger workers entering the labor market?
Last updated on January 07, 2025
Employer practices, Young workers Last updated on December 04, 2024

Advancing Economic Mobility in Manufacturing

In today’s labor market, manufacturers, like many employers, recognize that recruiting and retaining workers often means rethinking diversity considerations and identifying new talent pools.
Last updated on December 04, 2024
African American technician worker holds part of robotic arm
Employer practices, Support during upskilling , Young workers 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
Employer practices, Young workers Last updated on October 08, 2024
Research Summary

Young Workers Need Support When They Can't Find Their Footing in the US Workforce

During recessions, young workers are less likely to find work and face lower wage growth than more experienced workers. Unemployment Insurance could be reformed to support these young workers as they navigate the labor market amid economic downturns at foundational times in their careers, alongside other policy tools that can be effective in these instances.

Madeleine Sirois

Last updated on October 08, 2024
Employer practices, Immigrant workers, Young workers, Energy transition Brief Last updated on September 19, 2024

Extreme Heat at Work

This research brief offers the first nationally representative estimates of how outdoor and indoor workers are affected by extreme heat, highlighting that low-wage workers, defined as adults earning less than $15 an hour, face greater risks than higher-wage earners.

Lisa Clemans-Cope, Dulce Gonzalez, Sara McTarnaghan, Michael Karpman

WorkRise Research

Last updated on September 19, 2024