Labor Markets

commentary

How COVID-19 Transformed the Jobs Market

The COVID-19 pandemic initially devastated the U.S. economy. It also exposed and exacerbated existing inequities in society. But in as yet unpredictable ways, it may have accelerated profound changes in how labor works today.

Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins

commentary

Measure ULA Reflects the Wrong Lessons from Proposition HHH

Los Angeles voters approved the so-called “mansion tax,” Measure ULA, which proponents suggested will raise funds for about 26,000 new units of affordable housing over the next decade. But a key labor provision casts doubt on that optimistic projection.

Jason M. Ward @jason_m_ward

commentary

Green Jobs and Skills Development for Disadvantaged Groups

Many countries have plans to increase green job opportunities. To make sure that everyone can benefit from this promised green transition, it is important to understand how people with low qualifications, and other marginalised groups, might be able to access green jobs.

Joanna Hofman @JoannaBHofman, Katrin Feyerabend, et al.

blog

Legalizing Cannabis, the Russian Nuclear Threat, Digital Offshoring: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on cannabis legalization, the Russian nuclear threat, the effects of digital offshoring, and more.

commentary

Got a Labor Shortage? Make It Easier to Work

If the United States wants to avoid a long-term worker shortage, it should look to what policy can—but has failed to—fully address. We have a long history using carrots and sticks, but this is a problem we may not be able to cajole or punish our way out of. Finding workers can be as simple as giving more people a chance to work.

Kathryn A. Edwards

commentary

Recovered, but Not Whole: U.S. Jobs Rebounded, but Not for Everyone

The U.S. recovery from the pandemic recession has been remarkable. But it's important to note that both the recession and its recovery treated men and women differently, and treated women of color differently than white women.

Kathryn A. Edwards

commentary

Is a Recession Coming? A Key Indicator Is Also the King of Mixed Messages

When fears of inflation arise in the United States, people start paying a lot of attention to weekly unemployment-insurance claims, as an early indicator of layoffs that could augur a broader slump. But unemployment claims are a flawed gauge that may be particularly skewed by the pandemic.

Kathryn A. Edwards

blog

Responding to Russian Cyberattacks, Rebuilding Ukraine, Climate Change: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on how the U.S. could respond to Russian cyberattacks, what it will take to rebuild Ukraine after the war, why U.S. employers still have the power over workers, and more.

commentary

A Whole New, Same World

Workers in the United States have emerged from the pandemic with new preferences and demands, but they still lack the power to get what they want. By any meaningful measure, employers are still in charge.

Kathryn A. Edwards

essay

The Digital Skills Gap: What Workers Need for the Jobs of the Future

Business leaders have warned for years that what they see on job applications does not match what they need in new employees. There are not enough workers with the right digital skills. And as the world economy struggles to its feet after COVID-19, that skills gap threatens to keep pushing it down.

commentary

Why Unemployed Men with Criminal Records Could Be Key to Solving the U.S. Labor Shortage

American employers are panicked about the lack of willing workers. They shouldn't be. There are plenty of Americans who want to work. If you're an employer, you may be wondering where all these potential employees are hiding. They aren't hiding—they've been applying to your job openings, and you've been screening them out.

Shawn D. Bushway @BushwayShawn, Jeffrey B. Wenger

blog

Refugees, Women's Health Research, Supporting Incarcerated Parents: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on the humanitarian fallout from a Russian invasion of Ukraine, investing in women’s health research, supporting incarcerated parents, and more.

commentary

Finding Teachers and Bus Drivers Is a Big Problem, but a Different Staffing Challenge Is Looming in School Districts

The majority of school districts report they don't have enough staff to hire, particularly substitutes, bus drivers, and special education teachers. A recent survey also revealed a major challenge for the superintendency. Only half of superintendents said they were likely to stay in their jobs for the long term.

Michael DeArmond, Heather L. Schwartz @schwartz_hl, et al.

blog

RAND Commentary Highlights of 2021

Vaccine rollouts, an attack on the U.S. Capitol, massive ransomware attacks, the withdrawal from Afghanistan, record numbers of job openings and people quitting, and more. RAND researchers weighed in on all these topics and more.

commentary

Could the Move Toward Zoom and Other Collaboration Technologies Due to the Pandemic Change the Very Makeup of Populations?

Collaborative technologies such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams have transformed how we work, visit the doctor, and go to school. But can they also shift demographic trends in migration, fertility, morbidity, and mortality? And if so, how?

Esther M. Friedman, Andrew M. Parker