RAND » Congressional Resources » Labor, Population, and Demographics Issues

Labor, Population and Demographics Issues

This page offers an easy way for policymakers to access labor, population and demographics research and analysis that is relevant to current Congressional agendas. For additional information, to request documents, or to arrange a briefing, contact the RAND Office of Congressional Relations at ocr@rand.org or (703) 413-1100 x5395.

Recent Findings

Blog

Saved by the Diaspora — May 22, 2013

If Alawites and Sunnis living abroad can stand united against the Assad regime, so can their counterparts inside Syria. By setting an example of coexistence, they can mitigate the fears of Alawites in Syria that deserting Assad would facilitate the rise of an anti-Alawite Sunni regime.

Blog Post

Blog

The Value of Uncertainty: Assessing Global Societal Trends — May 9, 2013

When planning for the future, we should understand that the capacity to predict the future is rather limited and poor. Rather, an ability to anticipate plausible trends and their potential consequences is more realistic, writes Stijn Hoorens.

Blog Post

Blog

The Cost of Dementia: Who Will Pay? — Apr 30, 2013

Couple reviewing finances with an advisor

It is time for the government in partnership with industry to return to the drawing board to craft a plan that will provide protection for the more than 9 million people who will need care for dementia by 2040, writes Michael D. Hurd.

Blog

Dementia's Growing Cost to Caregivers — Apr 29, 2013

Young woman and grandfather sitting hand in hand at table

At the rate that the U.S. population is aging, the total cost of dementia could reach half a trillion dollars a year by 2040. Those who care for impaired relatives and friends are acutely aware of the effects of dementia, and unfortunately they are all too familiar with its costs, writes Kathleen J. Mullen.

Report

The Monetary Costs of Dementia in the United States — Apr 24, 2013

Identifying the costs of dementia is challenging because persons who have it are likely to have co-existing chronic health problems, making isolating the costs among other costs difficult. Also, it is unclear how to attribute a monetary cost to informal caregiving.

More Research on Labor Markets

More Research on Populations

More Research on Demography

Briefings

The Civilian Earnings of Reservists Following Deployment — Nov 9, 2009

Senior economist David Loughran will discuss The Impact of Deployment on the Post-Deployment Labor Market Earnings of Reserve Components on November 9, 2009.

Assessing Disparities Faced by Boys and Men of Color in California — Aug 10, 2009

Senior health policy researcher M. Rebecca Kilburn will discuss the biggest challenges and opportunities policymakers face in closing the gaps on a number of outcome indicators when she presents Reparable Harm: Assessing Disparities Faced by Boys and Men of Color in California on August 10, 2009.

More Labor, Population, and Demographics Briefings

Testimony

The Monetary Costs of Dementia in the United States

Michael D. Hurd

Testimony presented before the Senate Special Committee on Aging on April 24, 2013.

Testimony

Securing the Future of the Social Security Disability Insurance Program

Nicole Maestas

Testimony presented before the House Committee on Ways and Means, Subcommittee on Social Security on March 20, 2012.

Testimony

Encouraging Work at Older Ages

Nicole Maestas

Testimony presented before the Senate Finance Committee on July 15, 2010.

Testimony

Forces Shaping the Future U.S. Workforce and Workplace: Implications for 21st Century Work

Lynn A. Karoly

Testimony presented before the House Education and Labor Committee on February 7, 2007.

Testimony

More Testimony

Briefs

Improving Disabled Veterans' Employment Prospects Using Tax Credits — 2012

Estimates the effects of the 2007 expansion of the Work Opportunity Tax Credit program, which offered tax credits to employers who hired certain groups of veterans, including those with service-connected disabilities.

Research Brief

Are Breast Implants Linked to a Rare Form of Lymphoma? — 2011

A review of the scientific literature suggests that breast implants are associated with a rare form of lymphoma, but an expert panel believes that the disease can be managed by surgical removal of the implant.

Research Brief

California's Workers' Compensation Reform: Effects on Return to Work — 2011

This brief summarizes a study of how changes to the workers' compensation system have affected return-to-work rates in California, how return-to-work trends compare with policy changes, and recent trends in benefit adequacy.

Research Brief

China and India: The Asian Giants are Heading Down Different Demographic Paths — 2011

Discusses contrasting demographic trends in China and India through 2025 and what these imply for each country's economic performance.

Research Brief

Europe's demography: Are babies back? The recent recovery in EU period fertility due to older childbearing — 2011

An update to the RAND Europe 2004 study into the causes and consequences of low fertility in Europe analysing the latest data, reviewing recent literature, and examining the situation in Germany, Poland, Spain, Sweden and the UK in depth.