From the RAND Blog

See below for the latest commentary from the RAND Education and Labor team. For a complete list of related blog content, see education posts and workforce posts on the RAND Blog.

COVID-19's Effects on U.S. Schools, Vaccine Uptake, Small Businesses: RAND Weekly Recap
May 29, 2020
This weekly recap focuses on how COVID-19 has affected U.S. schools, potential barriers to vaccine uptake, what small businesses need to survive, and more.
To Preserve Jobs, America's Employers May Have to Get Creative
May 26, 2020
With about 38.6 million Americans filing for unemployment insurance benefits since the end of February, it is clear that COVID-19 has turned the world of work upside down. One way to reduce the economic damage may be job-sharing, an approach that focuses on maximizing jobs by reducing workers' hours rather than resorting to layoffs or furloughs.
Emergency COVID-19 Aid Helps College Students with Food and Housing: Four Ways Colleges Can Maintain That Support
May 26, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has expanded the pool of cash-strapped college students, but many were already struggling. The crisis could draw attention to food and housing insecurity among college students, and give college leaders a chance to consider how to address these needs more systematically over the long-term.
How COVID-19 Affected America's Schools
May 26, 2020
RAND surveyed teachers and principals to gauge how the pandemic has affected schooling, what supports these educators need, and how they are thinking about the next school year.
Global Challenges to Maintaining a Healthy Workforce During a Pandemic: Views from RAND Experts
May 15, 2020
As nations across the globe remain in lockdown to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, questions about the future of employment and workforce productivity emerge. During a recent webinar, RAND experts discussed how to get people back to work and improve productivity post COVID-19.
Equal Pay for Equal Work: How Binding Pay Transparency Measures May Help
May 12, 2020
More than 60 years ago, the EU introduced the principle of equal pay for equal work for men and women. But a gender pay gap persists in most countries. In 2014, a European Commission Recommendation encouraged measures to aid pay transparency, but implementation has been limited.
Economic Recovery in Egypt Should Include Women
May 11, 2020
Despite tremendous strides in educational attainment, women's engagement in the labor force in Egypt remains limited. Will Egypt's post-pandemic recovery further exacerbate structural barriers and inequities? Or could the current economic crisis be an opportunity to develop new opportunities to employ women and foster conditions for a more inclusive and diversified labor force?
Prof Asks, Is the Unemployment Rate Now Higher Than It Was in the Great Depression?
May 7, 2020
The extent of COVID-19's effect on the labor market will be catastrophic for many workers and businesses, writes Prof. Kathryn Edwards. Matching the unemployment rate peak set by the Great Depression is a possibility, but reaching this unfortunate milestone is not necessary to establish the historic nature of the downturn we are living through today.
Now That Digital Materials Are Front and Center, How Should They Be Used?
May 4, 2020
Schools and teachers can support student learning during the COVID-19 crisis by considering how to keep curricula front and center alongside a set of targeted digital materials that connect with curricula and can keep students learning, engaged, and connected to their school support systems.
Digital Learning Needs to Benefit All Children When Schools Close
May 4, 2020
Three factors are essential for any digital learning method. First, it must be inclusive. Second, it should support the learning experience, not replace it. And third, evidence of what works should inform digital learning interventions.
Protecting Household Employers and Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Apr 23, 2020
As the federal government extends aid to people put out of work by the COVID-19 pandemic, it could do more to help one group of employers and the vital American workers they employ: hundreds of thousands of nannies, housekeepers, and others employed in private homes.
Reactivating Retirees for Police Service in Times of Crisis
Apr 21, 2020
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, an increasing number of police officers and deputies have been exposed to or tested positive for the coronavirus. Gaps in personnel coverage could be filled by easing restrictions on the hiring of retired police officers rather than relying on existing resources.
Is It Time to Rethink the Separation Between the High School and Postsecondary Systems?
Apr 16, 2020
We do not yet know how long or deep this economic downturn will be, or how the pandemic will affect the way we work and learn. But just as the post-coronavirus workplace is surely being re-envisioned, this crisis should motivate us to reconsider the structure of our educational system. Early college is a model that can help inform these discussions.
Can We Emerge from COVID-19 with a Healthier Work Culture?
Apr 16, 2020
American families want greater choices in determining how their work and their families fit together. Post-pandemic, can we create a system that fits workers? If so, we have the opportunity to emerge from this crisis with both healthier employees and better performing organizations.
Coronavirus Will Necessitate Changes in Schools When They Reopen
Apr 16, 2020
Schools will likely need to modify their practices so that their teachers, staff, and students maintain social distancing standards whenever they reopen. If a federal agency would create guidance, then educators could focus on teaching students.