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Employment and Unemployment

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An individual's education, age, and health status may present barriers or opportunities to employability, just as a region's economy, tax base, and number of immigrants and emigrants may affect job availability. RAND research examines the impact of a range of policies and forces—personal, regional, and global—on employment and unemployment.

Project

American Working Conditions Survey

Aug 14, 2017

How do Americans perceive their workplace? RAND's American Working Conditions Survey shows workers find their jobs physically demanding, hazardous, and hectic—but also social and supportive, and many retirees would prefer to return to work.
Report

Job Search Process Is Working for Veterans

Feb 8, 2018

A comparison of the unemployment experiences of ex–service members and civilians finds that while both groups had similar durations of unemployment, veterans delayed filing for benefits. But once engaged with employment services, they made active use of tools like job referrals and training.

Explore Employment and Unemployment

Essay

Why Unretirement Is Working for Older Americans

Significant numbers of older Americans move in and out of the workforce. One in five workers today is 55 or older. By 2024, that number will be one in four. Older workers report having more meaningful work and more workplace flexibility than their younger peers.

Mar 6, 2018
Research Brief

Incentivizing Employers to Hire Ex-Offenders: What Policies Are Most Effective?

To inform efforts aimed at improving employment rates and earnings potential for ex-offenders, RAND researchers examined employer preferences of policy options designed to incentivize employment of individuals with felony criminal records.

Feb 8, 2018
Report

How to Incentivize Employers to Hire Ex-Offenders

People with criminal records are marginalized in the labor market. What policies might incentivize employers to hire them? Some options include tax credits and replacement guarantees if an ex-offender proves to be unsuitable once hired.

Jan 15, 2018
Commentary

Mental Health Challenges in the Construction Industry

Employers looking to address mental health problems among staff must recognize the causes and understand mental health challenges within the organization. Construction workers could face greater risk than workers in other sectors, but awareness of support and help remains low.

Jan 11, 2018
Journal Article

How Jakarta's Traffic Affects Labor Market Outcomes for Women and People with Disabilities: Results from a Baseline Survey

From the research reviewed and the existing data summarized, this report develops a theory of change for how labor market outcomes for females might be influenced by improvements to public transportation.

Dec 28, 2017
Dissertation

Dissertation

Labor Market Outcomes of Youth and Women in Newly Industrialized and Developing Countries

This dissertation examines the effects of exogenous shocks and labor market policies on employment, wages, and human capital development of youth and women.

Dec 4, 2017
Tool

Tool

Essential Nontechnical Skills Service Members Gain During On-the-Job Experience: A Resource for Leaders and Hiring Managers

This reference booklet provides information to help civilian employers understand the nontechnical skills that transitioning service members and veterans have developed through on-the-job experience in the military.

Dec 4, 2017
Tool

Essential Nontechnical Skills Service Members Gain During On-the-Job Experience: A Resource for Veterans and Transitioning Service Members

Provides information to help veterans and transitioning service members communicate to civilian employers about the nontechnical skills they have developed through military training and education programs and on-the-job experience.

Dec 4, 2017
Tool

Tool

What Veterans Bring to Civilian Workplaces: A Prototype Toolkit for Helping Veterans Communicate to Private-Sector Employers About the Nontechnical Skills Developed in the Military

Presents a prototype toolkit that describes the nontechnical skills developed through military training, education, and on-the-job experiences, to help veterans communicate about the value they can bring to civilian workplaces.

Dec 4, 2017
Tool

Tool

What Veterans Bring to Civilian Workplaces: A Prototype Toolkit for Helping Private-Sector Employers Understand the Nontechnical Skills Developed in the Military

Presents a prototype toolkit that describes the nontechnical skills developed through military training, education, and on-the-job experiences, to help civilian employers understand the full value veterans can bring to their organizations.

Dec 4, 2017
Report

Report

Methodology for Translating Enlisted Veterans' Nontechnical Skills into Civilian Employers' Terms

Describes a methodology for describing the nontechnical skills developed through military training, education, and on-the-job experiences in ways that can help veterans explain to civilian employers the full value they bring to organizations.

Dec 4, 2017
Report

Report

The Appalachia Partnership Initiative's Investments in Education, Workforce Development, and the Community: Technical Appendixes

These technical appendixes provide more details on the methodology, data, and findings in the report, The Appalachia Partnership Initiative's Investments in Education, Workforce Development, and the Community: Analysis of the First Stage, 2014-2016.

Nov 10, 2017
Commentary

Keeping Americans on the Job in a Changing Economy

Despite calls to bring back U.S. coal mines and factories, the real issue isn't a lack of family-sustaining jobs, it's a mismatch between workers and available jobs.

Oct 20, 2017
Report

Building a Sustainable STEM Workforce in Appalachia

The tristate region of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia needs more workers with STEM skills to fill jobs in the energy and advanced manufacturing sectors. The Appalachia Partnership Initiative has made investments aimed at addressing this issue. What kind of progress has the initiative made?

Oct 12, 2017
Report

Report

Digital learning: Education and skills in the digital age

The report gives an overview of an expert consultation on the role and future of education and skills in the digital world, and how we need to adapt current structures to keep up with digital developments.

Oct 11, 2017
Journal Article

Journal Article

The Recent Occupation and Industry Employment Patterns of American Veterans

In examining the employment patterns of American veterans, this study finds a tendency for veterans to work in civilian fields that align with technical military functions..

Oct 4, 2017
Journal Article

The Effect of Job Loss on Health

Workers who are laid off from their job have lower health than those who are laid off in the context of a business closure. Research indicates that a layoff could increase annual mortality rates by 10.3 percent.

Oct 4, 2017
Journal Article

Journal Article

Transforming Employment Support for Those with Mental Health Problems

In this essay, we look at what the evidence base around interventions is and see what types of options that policymakers could consider.

Sep 21, 2017
Blog

Exploring the Challenges Facing American Workers

A panel of experts at RAND discussed changes in the U.S. economy and findings from a survey that asked more than 3,000 Americans about issues they face in the workplace. Frequent hostility, rising inequality, slow wage growth, and changes in the demand for certain skills are some of the issues affecting workers.

Sep 15, 2017

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