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Workers and the Workplace

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Demand for educated, versatile workers who can interpret complex information and adapt to innovation is higher than ever. RAND pursues research that helps people, organizations, and governments understand how workers can remain engaged and productive in a changing global economy. Studies address workforce development, gender equity in the workplace, working conditions, and workplace wellness programs.

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Teachers’ Responses to Curriculum Restrictions
RAND policy researcher Ashley Woo presents findings from a study that examined teachers' responses to limitations on race- and gender-related topics in the classroom.
Apr 22, 2023
Commentary
The Army Should Be Looking for a Few Older Soldiers
Recruiting older people to enlist in the Army could help increase numbers, quality, and talent. Individuals who enlist over the age of 21 perform better as soldiers on several metrics. Recruiters have noted that older recruits are of higher quality, more focused, and more motivated.
Apr 7, 2023

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Explore Workers and the Workplace

Journal Article
Practice Patterns, Work Environments, and Job Outcomes of Rural and Urban Primary Care Nurse Practitioners
This study compares urban and rural NPs using data from a survey of 1,244 primary care NPs in Arizona, California, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington.
Apr 12, 2023
Commentary
Building a Professional Early Childhood Workforce Requires a 'Compensation-First' Approach
The benefits and costs of large-scale professionalization efforts in early childhood education (ECE) are not yet clear. And we know little about the implications of such policies for a workforce that already faces a great deal of instability. However, research on ECE professionalization offers some lessons.
Apr 12, 2023
Journal Article
Understanding Decision Making Around Changing the State Pension Age: A Review of International Evidence
This report presents findings from a review commissioned by the Department for Work and Pensions to investigate how high-income OECD countries change State Pension age (SPa) and the variables considered when they changed the SPa.
Apr 5, 2023
Report
Assessing the Readiness for Human Commercial Spaceflight Safety Regulations
What is the progress of the commercial space industry in adopting voluntary standards for participant safety, and towards meeting key metrics that would indicate readiness for regulation?
Apr 3, 2023
Blog
Violence in Schools, Neurodiversity and National Security, Drug Cartels: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on preventing school violence, dealing with drug cartels, the benefits of a neurodivergent national security workforce, and more.
Mar 31, 2023
Report
Emerging Options for Field-Grade Officer Promotions in the U.S. Air Force
The Fiscal Year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act established an alternative framework for promotion policies for military officers. The authors examine whether shifting to this framework would be beneficial and how it would be implemented.
Mar 29, 2023
Report
Veterans' Employment During Recessions
Veterans and nonveterans have different employment support needs and are affected differently by recessions. Understanding these differences can help veterans, employers, policymakers, and veteran-serving organizations prepare for economic shocks and uncertainty.
Mar 29, 2023
Report
Neurodiversity and National Security: How to Tackle National Security Challenges with a Wider Range of Cognitive Talents
This report provides research and analysis for national security managers and employees who seek to better understand neurodivergence and neurodiversity and desire simple steps to achieve neurodiverse inclusivity for national security workplaces.
Mar 27, 2023
Research Brief
Why National Security Needs Neurodiversity
Neurodiversity, like other forms of diversity, can strengthen an organization. Members of the neurodivergent population have skills that can be beneficial in many fields of interest to national security. These include pattern recognition, problem-solving, visualization, and memory.
Mar 27, 2023
Report
How Did COVID-19 Affect Prison Education?
Many U.S. correctional systems shut down or cut back on education and vocational programs because of the pandemic. But having to adapt to COVID-19 restrictions helped accelerate the adoption of online and hybrid learning models and the use of technology for prison education programs.
Mar 23, 2023
Periodical
RAND Review: March-April 2023
The cover story describes how K-12 schools can build trust with students to increase threat reporting and strengthen school safety. The Q&A with Ashley Woo explores how restrictions on race- and gender-related topics are affecting teachers.
Mar 22, 2023
News Release
On World Sleep Day, New Research Reveals the Socioeconomic Impact of Insomnia on Global Populations
Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder and exacts a significant toll on an individual's mental and physical health, quality of life, and productivity. But the consequences of insomnia go well beyond the individual, with cascading effects on families, employers, and global economies.
Mar 17, 2023
Report
America's Opioid Ecosystem
Patterns and consequences of opioid use are changing dramatically. Researchers provide a nuanced assessment of America's opioid ecosystem, highlighting how leveraging system interactions can reduce addiction, overdose, suffering, and other harms.
Mar 16, 2023
Visualization
The Ecosystem Approach to Opioid Policy
RAND researchers created a tool to help federal, state, and local policymakers better understand issues surrounding opioids as an ecosystem—and explore innovative policy ideas.
Mar 16, 2023
Report
The societal and economic burden of insomnia in adults: An international study
This study sought to examine the societal and economic burden of insomnia through a literature review, secondary database analyses and economic modelling. Findings indicate a substantial burden.
Mar 16, 2023
Q&A
Amplifying Teachers' Voices: Q&A with Ashley Woo
Ashley Woo, an assistant policy researcher at RAND and a Ph.D. candidate at the Pardee RAND Graduate School, aims to bring teachers' perspectives into policymaking. In this interview, she discusses her research on teachers' responses to state restrictions on how they can address topics related to race and gender in the classroom.
Mar 16, 2023
News Release
U.S. Opioid Crisis Best Viewed as Connected Ecosystem; Changing Policymakers' Approach Can Aid Solutions
The nation's opioid crisis, which kills thousands of Americans annually, is best viewed as an ecosystem where all parts of the vexing problem are interconnected, underscoring the need for holistic solutions that address the broad needs of those with substance use disorders, their families, and the communities where they live.
Mar 16, 2023
Journal Article
Follow-Up Shadow Coaching Improves Primary Care Provider-Patient Interactions and Maintains Improvements When Conducted Regularly: A Spline Model Analysis
Re-coaching improved patient experience more than initial coaching, suggesting the reactivation of knowledge from initial coaching. However, re-coaching gains also eroded. Coaching should occur every 6–12 months to maintain behaviors and scores.
Mar 9, 2023
Report
Talent Management and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Department of the Air Force: Qualitative Review of Programs, Practices, and Partnerships
Researchers conduct a qualitative literature review and interviews with subject-matter experts to identify the Department of the Air Force's existing and planned efforts to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion in its military force.
Mar 9, 2023

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Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Patricia K. Tong

Economist

Patricia Tong is an economist at the RAND Corporation who specializes in public finance, labor, and health economics. Her research focuses on developing a better understanding of how public policy affects household outcomes, particularly among low-income families, married couples, and the aging…
Christopher A. Mouton

Acting Director, Acquisition and Technology Policy Program

Christopher Mouton is the acting director of the Acquisition and Technology Policy Program (ATP), part of the RAND National Security Research Division (NSRD). He is also a senior engineer at the RAND Corporation, and a professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School.

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