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Workers and the Workplace

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The Economy, Jobs, and Inflation Explained: What Americans Need to Know
From the grocery store to the job market, Americans are feeling the pulse of a changing economy. Particularly after the upheaval of the pandemic, some might be questioning long-held assumptions about prosperity, work, and the future. We asked two RAND experts to size up the economic landscape in this election year.
Sep 12, 2024

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The State of Public Education in 2024 in Five Charts
Every year RAND sends more than a dozen surveys to members of the American Educator Panels to keep tabs on what is happening in classrooms around the country. When we looked back on the last 12 months of reports based on our surveys, these are the findings that told us the most about the state of American public schools.
Aug 30, 2024
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Teachers Are Still Stressed and Underpaid Post-COVID
This school year will be the fifth since COVID emptied classrooms and upended education as we knew it. Student test scores have not recovered. Districts nationwide report lingering staff shortages. And teachers still work long hours, earn relatively low salaries, and are stressed out.
Aug 22, 2024
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Why We Need More Hybrid Managers
Hybrid-native managers innately understand how to blend traditional and remote workplaces. They need to be highly effective communicators to ensure clarity and consistency. Equally important is the ability to build trust and foster a culture of accountability.
Aug 15, 2024
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Young People in the UK Need a Future. Can It Be Guaranteed?
As the new Labour government takes its first steps in power, it is a good time to explore what might be learned from youth employment initiatives both within the United Kingdom and the European Union.
Jul 23, 2024
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Why Being Good to Your Workers Is Good for Your Stock Price
Companies that invest in their frontline workers—and are clearer about where/how—could see a meaningful uptick in their stock value, while also becoming more attractive to job candidates in a tight labor market. And those investments for employees can have transformative effects on people's lives and economic mobility.
Jul 18, 2024
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Stackable Certificates Could Be a Lifeline for Governments Facing an IT Talent Crisis
How can the public sector bridge the widening tech talent gap and improve retention? The answer may lie in upskilling current employees through stackable certificate programs.
Jul 12, 2024
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Women Can't Build Secure Futures Without Financial Literacy
Despite the emergence of financial feminism and greater policy attention paid to this topic, women who face the greatest challenges in securing financial independence may still face barriers to improving their financial literacy. Women would benefit from free, diverse, and accessible forms of financial education.
Jun 27, 2024
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Centers of Excellence Can Support Federal Programs' Mission and Enhance Engagement with Underserved Communities
Centers of Excellence, academic consortia that engage in research to support federal agencies, can help federal programs expand their geographic reach and increase the diversity of their technical workforce.
Jun 24, 2024
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Talented Young Tech Workers Should Be Hired by Uncle Sam
With tech giants tightening their belts, this year's computer science graduates are facing a job market that's lost some of its luster. This presents an unprecedented opportunity for the federal government to level up its tech workforce.
Jun 20, 2024
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Overprescribing Is Still Driving Overdose Deaths. One Fix Starts with Nudging Surgeons
If surgeons prescribed only the number of pills patients needed after an operation, this could greatly reduce the number of excess pills available for diversion and misuse. This, in turn, could reduce addiction and overdoses.
Jun 18, 2024
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The Long Run: High-Quality Employee Investments Boost Stock Performance
Using AI to analyze SEC disclosures, RAND economists found that retailers' post-2020 filings contain important nuggets about how they are investing in people—and that this information can often predict stock performance.
Jun 6, 2024
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100 Years Later, U.S. Foreign Service Is Still on the Front Lines of Diplomacy
As the modern Foreign Service marks its 100th anniversary, 15,600 Americans serve in embassies, consulates, and missions around the globe. They rarely make the front pages in the media, but their work is vital to the long-term success of American foreign policy.
May 21, 2024
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An Affordable Diarrhea Treatment Could Save Thousands of Children's Lives
Diarrhea kills by dehydration. The discovery that salts plus glucose and water can keep patients alive has been hailed as one of the greatest medical advances of the past century. Yet health care providers from South Asia to sub-Saharan Africa don't prescribe them enough.
May 15, 2024
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Scaling Statewide Credit for Industry Credentials: Lessons Learned from Ohio
For decades, community colleges and universities have awarded credit for learning that takes place outside of the classroom. Lessons from Ohio offer a roadmap as states scale programs that give college credit for industry credentials.
May 9, 2024
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When AI Gets It Wrong, Will It Be Held Accountable?
RAND researchers fielded their survey to provide the first nationally representative look at what people will actually do when faced with an unfair AI outcome.
May 9, 2024

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