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.

Wildfires, America's Wealth Gap, Screening for COVID-19 at Work: RAND Weekly Recap
Sep 18, 2020

This weekly recap focuses on the growing risk of wildfires, how Americans' incomes have grown (or not), workplace screenings for COVID-19 symptoms, and more.
America's Declining Global Influence, COVID-19 and Schools, Pardoning Snowden: RAND Weekly Recap
Sep 11, 2020

This weekly recap focuses on America's declining status on the world stage, why schools need long-term plans to address COVID-19, what Shinzo Abe's resignation means for the U.S.-Japan alliance, and more.
Can Workers' Compensation Help Businesses Reopen More Safely?
Sep 9, 2020

Workers' compensation typically does not cover common infectious diseases like COVID-19. But in the fight against the pandemic, state policymakers might take a fresh look at aspects of labor and business regulation that usually fade into the background and ask if modest changes hold any potential to reduce disease transmission.
Schools Need to Be Planning for the Next 9 Months, Not the Next 9 Weeks
Sep 8, 2020

Schools cannot simply wait out this pandemic, nor will short-term planning and ad-hoc infrastructure get them successfully through this academic year. If schools are to minimize educational losses, large-scale investments should be made now.
For Leisure and Hospitality, Weak Recovery Still Looks Like Recession
Sep 4, 2020

By most measures, the workers hardest hit by pandemic shutdowns were those in the leisure and hospitality sector, which includes arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation, and food services. These jobs, which are still affected by government social distancing regulations, are not all likely to come back before the pandemic truly ends.
Learning from School Leaders About SEL During a Time of Crisis
Sep 4, 2020

It would be easy for social and emotional learning to fall by the wayside as school leaders work to address students' health, safety, and learning loss during the COVID-19 pandemic. Policymakers and funders should take seriously the perspectives and concerns that school leaders have shared.
Should COVID-19 Be Covered by Workers' Compensation?
Aug 31, 2020

Expanding workers' compensation coverage for COVID-19 could be part of a broader response to ensuring an efficient economic recovery from the pandemic. What are the potential benefits and drawbacks?
Industry Mix in L.A. Area Helps Explain Recent Record Unemployment Rates
Aug 25, 2020

The Los Angeles Combined Statistical Area reported more than 270,000 job cuts between March and early August. Considering which industries have cut jobs may provide a window into the area's unique labor market and help explain how the area currently has among the highest unemployment in the nation.
Radicalization, the Gender Pay Gap, Israel-UAE Deal: RAND Weekly Recap
Aug 21, 2020

This weekly recap focuses on the potential for a new era of radicalization, insights into the gender pay gap, why the Israel-UAE deal doesn't merit the hype, and more.
Engaging Learning Spaces Are Important, Even During a Pandemic
Aug 18, 2020

While considering new uses for and formations of school space, planners might also consider whether these spaces will be conducive to learning. Research links the physical condition of learning spaces to improved student physical health and academic performance.
What Unemployment Statistics Obscure About Temporary Layoffs
Aug 17, 2020

As the broadest COVID-19 shutdowns were underway this spring, a historic number of American workers entered temporary layoff. Those temporary layoffs represent an economy put on pause. What has happened to them since then tells us if the economy can hit play again.
The Link Between Workplace Diversity and the Gender Pay Gap
Aug 15, 2020

Many factors explain the gender earnings gap, including workplace biases, differences in how credit is attributed, and differences in how men and women negotiate. But another factor could influence the pay women receive: the number of men in their workplace.
L.A.'s High Unemployment, RAND's New Research Center, Twitter: RAND Weekly Recap
Aug 14, 2020

This weekly recap focuses on unemployment in the Los Angeles area, the new RAND Center to Advance Racial Equity Policy, food consumption in the UK, and more.
COVID-19 Brings Opportunity to Reassess Work Policies
Aug 11, 2020

As certain COVID-19 restrictions lift, and life for some begins to return to a “new normal,” employers may have the opportunity to rebuild work policies to better support those employees who want to continue working from home. This could produce well-being benefits for employees, without compromising on, and often increasing, productivity.
Preparing for a COVID-19 Election, Hurricane Response, North Korea: RAND Weekly Recap
Aug 7, 2020

This weekly recap focuses on preparing for a COVID-19 election, how the pandemic is affecting artists, North Korea's deadly artillery, and more.