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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.

Avoiding a Long War in Ukraine, Gun Violence, Migrant Surges: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on how the United States can help avoid a long war in Ukraine, responding to the gun violence crisis, limits on teachers’ instruction, and more.
Jan 27, 2023
The Inflation Pain You Don't See
Official statistics don't capture the pain of inflation for many Americans. That's because there's something wrong with how we define the middle class. Far more American households earn a middle-class income than enjoy a middle-class lifestyle.
Jan 18, 2023
A Potential Russian Attack on NATO, China in the Arctic, Inflation: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on how the West might respond in the case of a limited Russian attack on NATO, what China's Arctic ambitions mean to the United States, how inflation affects middle-class households, and more.
Jan 6, 2023
A Way Forward for Police Recruiting
Police recruiting is in a prolonged crisis. Without sufficient numbers of quality recruits who will form the foundation of change in policing in the coming decade, no amount of planning, strategies, or programs will succeed. It is critical to draw from a pool of interested persons who are diverse, eclectic, technologically adept, and who have a spirit of community service that is the core of public safety professions.
Dec 16, 2022
Ten Things That Inspired Me in 2022
It would be impossible to capture all the important work that RAND does in a year. But RAND president and CEO Jason Matheny has compiled ten times he was inspired by RAND's efforts to bring insight to some of the biggest policy stories of 2022.
Dec 15, 2022
The Racial Wealth Gap, the Effects of Long COVID, Teacher Diversity: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on understanding the racial wealth gap, why long COVID may threaten the U.S. economy, what prevents people of color from becoming and staying teachers, and more.
Dec 9, 2022
Long COVID Is a Mass Disability. The Labor Market Is in Denial
Forget the work-from-home revolution or quiet quitting: The COVID-19 pandemic's biggest impact on the U.S. labor market will be as a mass disability event. It's a shock that the economy is not well prepared to handle.
Dec 7, 2022
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.
Dec 1, 2022
Keeping Teachers of Color in the Classroom Will Take More Than a Pay Raise
All students—but particularly Black and Latinx students—benefit academically and socially from having teachers who are people of color. Policymakers and education leaders can help these teachers stay in the profession by making teaching more financially sustainable and fostering collegial relationships within school communities.
Dec 1, 2022
Taiwan, Putin's Holy War, Mining the Moon: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on why China likely won't attack Taiwan anytime soon, Vladimir Putin's “holy war” in Ukraine, why it's time to make rules for space-mining, and more.
Nov 25, 2022
$Young Afro-Latina mother taking temperature of her child in bed, photo by Vesnaandjic/Getty Images$

Working Moms' Winter Math Is Getting Tougher
Working mothers remain disproportionately responsible for raising children, and no one can work and take care of sick kids at the same time. In the coming months, the tripledemic of COVID, the flu, and RSV will pull a lot of working mothers out of the office for days at a stretch, compounding the obstacles that women already face.
Nov 22, 2022
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.
Nov 8, 2022
How Veterans Fare in the Civilian Labor Market
Around 200,000 service members transition to the civilian labor market every year. They often find it's like falling into another dimension, one where employers don't even speak the same language. More than a decade of RAND research has sought to ease that transition.
Nov 4, 2022
Army Lessons and Organizational Change: Q&A with Dwayne Butler
Before coming to RAND, Dwayne Butler served in the U.S. Army for 20 years. In this interview, he discusses how his military career prepared him for the research he is doing now on organizational diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Oct 28, 2022
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.
Oct 14, 2022