Reimagining the Workforce Development System for the 21st Century and Beyond

Technology, globalization, and demographic changes have altered what employers need from workers and what workers can expect from employers. Many Americans no longer follow a straightforward, linear path from education to the workforce to retirement—rather, it is becoming more common for individuals to work while going to school, return to school to get more education or change careers after spending some time in the workforce, or work multiple freelance jobs. RAND Education and Labor researchers are working with education and training institutions, employers, and policymakers to take a systems-levels approach to examining education, workforce development, and employment, and to develop evidence-based policy recommendations to better support workers and employers in the 21st-century and beyond.

Featured Research

Equitable Access to Opportunities for Learning, Training, and Re-Training Throughout Individuals’ Working Lives

RAND Education and Labor researchers are examining how best to provide students with a broad base of fundamental skills, as well as exposure to career and technical education that will prepare them for the world of work. In addition, we are considering alternative funding models that can more equitably distribute costs of continuing education and training among individuals, employers, and taxpayers.

Matching and Re-matching Individuals with Jobs to Which They and Their Skills are Well-suited

Recent graduates often find it difficult to make the transition from school to the workforce, as employers often want to hire workers with previous experience. RAND Education and Labor researchers are working in partnership with employers, education and training providers, and other stakeholders to better-align education and training curricula with labor market needs, and to facilitate the school-to-workforce transition. At the same time, many experienced workers find that their current skills are no longer in need, but there are no clearly defined pathways for them to quickly adapt and acquire new skills. Our work has examined new mechanisms to support greater job and career mobility, as well as the needs of freelancers in the growing “gig” economy.

Recent Publications

• U.S. Veteran Labor Market Trends October 24, 2023

  Megan S. Schuler, Eric Robinson, Justin W. Lee, Teague Ruder, Gilad Wenig, Carrie M. Farmer, Jessica Phillips, Rajeev Ramchand

  Veterans, regardless of race/ethnicity, have lower unemployment rates than nonveterans and are more likely to work in the public sector. The top industries for veteran employment are public administration and manufacturing.

• A Summary of Veteran-Related Statistics October 24, 2023

  Eric Robinson, Justin W. Lee, Teague Ruder, Megan S. Schuler, Gilad Wenig, Carrie M. Farmer, Jessica Phillips, Rajeev Ramchand

  This report documents analysis conducted across a variety of public nationally representative datasets to generate baseline estimates related to veterans' demographics, mental health, and labor market outcomes. The authors offer a summary of relevant estimates and trends to support the work of policymakers and researchers focused on veteran-related issues and to inform public audiences interested in the welfare of the U.S. veteran population.

• The Gender Gap in Performance Reviews October 16, 2023

  Lisa Abraham

  I examine gender differences in 100,000+ performance reviews for 170 companies across 12 industries. I find that women rate their performance lower than men, and these differences persist when accounting for manager and peer reviews of the worker.

• Artificial Intelligence and the Labor Force: A Data-Driven Approach to Identifying Exposed Occupations October 11, 2023

  Tobias Sytsma, Éder M. Sousa

  The authors explore the relationship between occupational exposure and technologies, wages, and employment related to artificial intelligence (AI). Using natural language processing (NLP), the authors evaluate occupational exposure to all technology patents in the United States, as well as to specific AI technologies, including machine learning, NLP, speech recognition, planning control, AI hardware, computer vision, and evolutionary computation.

• Rage Against the Machine? Knowing How Technology and Artificial Intelligence Have — and Have Not — Affected Jobs in Recent Decades Offers Insight into How They Could Affect the Future of Work October 11, 2023

  Tobias Sytsma, Éder M. Sousa

  The authors explore how technology — especially artificial intelligence (AI) — has affected occupations in the United States in recent history by using natural language processing to sift through technology patents. They assess how AI has shifted exposure, how exposure to technology fluctuates over time, whether new technology reduces the need for human labor, and college degrees and routine cognitive tasks as indicators of exposure.

• Strengthening the Manufacturing Workforce in Ohio September 14, 2023

  Lisa Abraham, Christine Mulhern, Lucas Greer

  Manufacturing employers often cite challenges to finding and hiring enough highly skilled and diverse workers, so it is important to understand how pathways into manufacturing and the retention of manufacturing workers may be improved. The authors of this report examine the pipeline between Ohio’s postsecondary education system and the manufacturing workforce, focusing on ways to bolster the supply of workers and the diversity of the workforce.

See more publications on workforce development