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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.

Report

U.S. Workplace Is Physically and Emotionally Taxing

Aug 14, 2017

Americans face unpleasant and potentially hazardous working conditions, physical exertion, unstable schedules, and have to work during their free time. Despite these challenges, they have some autonomy, most feel confident about their skill set, and many receive social support on the job.
Report

More Research Would Inform Innovative Approaches to Veteran Employment

Aug 22, 2016

While the aim of veteran employment programs is to help veterans transition to civilian jobs, their impact is unclear. RAND hosted two workshops to recommend improvements to veteran employment opportunities and identify research gaps.

Explore Employment and Unemployment

Journal Article

Journal Article

The Immediate Hardship of Unemployment: Evidence from the U.S. Unemployment Insurance Program

This paper uses a unique administrative database collected by the U.S. Department of Labor from 2002-09 to examine whether reservation wages fall as workers wait longer to apply for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits.

Aug 22, 2017
Commentary

Why the IPS Success Story Needs to Be Unpicked

The Individual Placement and Support model, which helps people with severe mental illness gain employment, has been a major statistical success. Why does it work and how it might be applied to other vulnerable populations?

Aug 15, 2017
News Release

News Release

American Workplace Is Physically and Emotionally Taxing; Most Workers Receive Support from Boss and Friends at Work

The American workplace is taxing, with workers facing unstable work schedules, unpleasant and hazardous working conditions, and an often hostile social environment. But American workers have a certain degree of autonomy on the job, feel confident about their skill set, and receive social support while on the job.

Aug 14, 2017
Project

American Working Conditions Survey

The American Working Conditions Survey is a survey of more than 3000 workers, using the American Life Panel.

Aug 14, 2017
Research Brief

More Than Half of Retirees Would Return to Work

Results from the American Working Conditions Survey show that, overall, older workers report having more meaningful work and more workplace flexibility than their younger peers; and more than half of retirees would return to work under the right conditions.

Aug 14, 2017
Tool

The American Working Conditions Survey Data: Codebook and Data Description

This codebook describes the content and structure of the American Working Conditions Survey data (AWCS) which was fielded on the RAND American Life Panel (ALP) in 2015.

Aug 14, 2017
Research Brief

How Do Americans Perceive the Workplace?

For many Americans, the workplace is hectic, hazardous, and physically demanding. But many retirees would still consider rejoining the workforce if the right opportunity came along.

Aug 14, 2017
Journal Article

Journal Article

In with the Big, Out with the Small: Removing Small-Scale Reservations in India

Our analysis suggests that the removal of small-scale reservations increased overall employment by encouraging the growth of younger, larger establishments—those that are most likely to pay higher wages, create more investment, be more productive, and generate growth in employment.

Aug 8, 2017
Commentary

Military Power Is All About People: A Return to Personnel Policy

Ensuring the strength of U.S. armed forces is critical to U.S. national security and the key source of strength is its people. True investment in personnel is a long-term legacy and an investment worthy of attention and policy debate to ensure the United States continues to recruit and retain the most effective fighting force in the world.

Jul 27, 2017
Commentary

California's Tourism Industry: A Launching Pad for New Careers

Travel and tourism jobs in California often serve as an entry point for those outside the paid labor force. Nearly 55 percent leave the industry within a few years, some of whom move to another industry but keep the same occupation. Others change occupations as they change industries.

Jun 29, 2017
Report

The Effects of Travel and Tourism on California's Economy

California's travel and tourism industry employs a diverse workforce that makes a meaningful contribution to the state's economy. For some, the industry offers a stable career path with good wages and wage growth. For others, it's a launching point into other industries.

Jun 27, 2017
Tool

Tool

Regional Maps of the Appalachia Partnership Initiative Region

The interactive tool highlights the geographic reach of Appalachia Partnership Initiative programs that address STEM K-12 education and workforce development needs in the Greater Pittsburgh area's advanced manufacturing and energy sectors.

May 31, 2017
Commentary

Why Europe's Work-Life Balance Proposal Could Be in Limbo for Years

The work-life balance proposal has a chance of having an impact on the labor markets and welfare systems in Europe. However, given the variation in policies across member states and levels of political support among key stakeholders, the proposal may end up stuck in negotiations.

May 30, 2017
Journal Article

Journal Article

Labor Supply Estimation Biases from Disregarding Nonwage Benefits

This paper develops and estimates a stochastic dynamic model of occupation and job choice, where nonwage benefits are directly incorporated into the decision alongside wages.

May 10, 2017
Report

Report

The impact of the National Minimum Wage on employment: A meta-analysis

The report considers the effects of the UK national minimum wage on different labour market sub-groups since 1999. The findings suggest that increases in the national minimum wage had no negative employment effects on the overall UK labour market.

Apr 20, 2017
Multimedia

Why Prison Education Matters

In this Events @ RAND podcast, our panel of experts discuss the costs and benefits of using education to stop the prison revolving door, and the effectiveness of programs like The Last Mile, which prepares inmates for reentry by providing them with marketable skills.

Apr 6, 2017
Report

Report

Workplace Wellbeing Charter: Analysis of take-up and impact

In 2014, Public Health England published the Workplace Wellbeing Charter (WWC), a set of national standards for workplace health designed to aid employers in workplace health improvement. This study investigates the take-up and impact of the WWC.

Apr 5, 2017
Report

Wages, Employment, and STEM Education in Appalachia

An ongoing assessment of employment and wages in energy and advanced manufacturing industries in the Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia region captures trends about which counties might have greater demand for educating or employing local talent in STEM careers.

Mar 22, 2017
Research Brief

Assessing the Needs of Massachusetts' Veterans

Massachusetts veterans have unmet needs for education, employment, health care, housing, financial, and legal services. Researchers assessed these needs to help inform state investments and guide efforts to remedy barriers to access.

Mar 7, 2017

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