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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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Rage Against the Machine? How AI Could Affect the Future of Work
Understanding how technology and artificial intelligence have—and have not—affected jobs in the past can provide insights on the future of the American workforce. What is the relationship between occupational exposure and technologies, wages, and employment related to artificial intelligence?
Oct 11, 2023
Research Brief
Financial Incentives for Businesses Can Increase Employment of People with Criminal Records
Connecting individuals with criminal histories to jobs benefits both them and society, but employers are hesitant to hire them. Modest direct financial incentives such as tax credits could motivate employers to hire more people with prior convictions.
Oct 2, 2023

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Blog
Extremist Beliefs Among Veterans, Space Traffic, Teacher Well-Being: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on whether extremist beliefs are more prevalent among veterans, why it's time to manage traffic in outer space, crises facing the Russian military, and more.
Jun 9, 2023
Report
Military-to-Civilian Occupational Matching: Using the O*NET to Provide Match Recommendations for the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force
The authors employ a unique method for military-to-civilian occupational matching by comparing survey data collected from service members in selected military occupations with similar data previously collected for civilian occupations.
Jun 6, 2023
Report
Which Working Conditions Could Restore Teacher Well-Being?
Teachers' self-reported well-being and access to a variety of working conditions varied across five states. Relational factors—positive relationships with other teachers and administrators—were more strongly linked to well-being than organizational factors. And a schoolwide focus on social and emotional learning was linked to positive well-being.
Jun 1, 2023
Report
National Guard Youth ChalleNGe: Program Progress in 2021–2022
The National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program serves young people ages 16 to 18 experiencing difficulty in traditional high school. This report covers the program years 2021–2022 and is the seventh in a series on this quasi-military residential program.
Jun 1, 2023
Commentary
An Autistic Soldier Wants You to Read This
Despite the recruitment challenges it is currently facing, the Army continues to make personnel decisions based on last century's understanding of neurodivergent diagnoses. The loosening of stigma associated with these diagnoses could improve recruitment, and the Army might reap the benefits of neurodiversity.
Jun 1, 2023
Report
"Conditions for Postservice Success Are Set Well Before the Uniform Comes Off": Proceedings from a Roundtable on How Military Service Affects Veterans' Posttransition Outcomes
The RAND Epstein Family Veterans Policy Research Institute hosted subject-matter experts for a roundtable discussion focusing on how military experience shapes veterans' transitions to civilian life.
May 30, 2023
News Release
State Policies Requiring Education for Buprenorphine Prescribers Boosts Use of Opioid Use Disorder Treatment
States that want to increase access to buprenorphine, a lifesaving medication used to treat opioid use disorder, should consider efforts to enhance professional education and clinician knowledge.
May 26, 2023
Journal Article
Home Visiting for First-Time Parents: Community Innovation
We outline lessons from the First Born home visiting program for other universal programs, including the pros and cons of universal services, the expectation that universal programs will have population-level impact, and barriers to innovation.
May 25, 2023
Journal Article
Evaluating England's Youth Employment Infrastructure: Final Report
This research generates evidence and learning on how infrastructure organisations (IOs) in England support the youth employment space and effect change.
May 25, 2023
Blog
Extremism, Medicaid, Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' Law: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on addressing domestic extremism, managing reductions in Medicaid enrollment, the effects of Florida's “Don't Say Gay” law, and more.
May 19, 2023
Report
Roles for City Governments in Entrepreneurial Ecosystems: An Initial Exploration
To enhance the understanding of the role of local government in entrepreneurial ecosystems, RAND researchers reviewed available resources and interviewed local officials from six selected cities from February to April 2022.
May 18, 2023
Journal Article
The Impact of Nurse Practitioner-Led Primary Care on Quality and Cost for Medicaid-Enrolled Patients in States With Pay Parity
This retrospective cohort study evaluated the quality and cost implications of receiving primary care from nurse practitioners (NPs) compared to physicians in 14 states that reimburse NPs at the Medicaid fee-for-service physician rate (pay parity).
May 16, 2023
Research Brief
Wraparound Services Are Key to Helping Justice-Involved Los Angelenos Get and Keep Jobs
A team of researchers from the RAND Corporation and Harder+Company Community Research partnered with the Los Angeles Mayor's Office of Reentry to evaluate Cohort 2 of Project imPACT. This brief highlights program implementation and outcome findings.
May 12, 2023
Report
Implementation and Outcome Evaluation of Project imPACT — A Proposition 47–Funded Program in Los Angeles: Cohort 2 Final Evaluation Report
This report presents findings related to individuals served by Project imPACT, an employment-focused reentry program, between June 2020 and September 2022, demonstrating how service providers helped Fellows achieve several of the program's goals.
May 12, 2023
Blog
Reflecting on the Pandemic, RAND Turns 75, Labor Trafficking: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, 75 years of influential RAND research, reducing labor trafficking in the United States, and more.
May 12, 2023
Report
Workers in Homeless Services Often Do Not Earn a Living Wage
Workers employed by nonprofit homeless services agencies in Los Angeles County, particularly frontline staff, often do not earn a living wage. Paying them higher wages could improve the quality of their work by boosting morale, easing stress, and reducing turnover.
May 10, 2023
News Release
Workers at Homeless Services Agencies in L.A. Often Earn Salaries Below Living Wage Levels
Workers employed by nonprofit homeless services agencies in Los Angeles County often do not earn a living wage, creating stress for the workers and making it difficult to retain staff.
May 10, 2023
Research Brief
Labor Trafficking in the United States
The U.S. Department of State has estimated that 14,500 to 17,500 people are trafficked into the United States each year to perform bonded or forced labor. The dimensions of this problem are growing, making it more challenging to study and address.
May 9, 2023
Report
Current and Future Research on Labor Trafficking in the United States
Reducing the prevalence of human trafficking is a national priority. In this report, researchers recommend a research agenda for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to address labor trafficking policy and enforcement.
May 9, 2023
Blog
RAND Turns 75: A Look Through the Decades At World-Changing Research
From anticipating the Space Age in the 1940s to studying gun policy and COVID-19 responses in the 2020s, RAND is celebrating 75 years of research that has made a difference.
May 8, 2023

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Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Beth J. Asch

Senior Economist

Beth Asch is a senior economist at the RAND Corporation and professor of policy analysis at Pardee RAND Graduate School. Her areas of study include labor economics and defense manpower. She has led numerous studies on compensation design in the military and in the federal civil service, on the…
Mary Keeling

Research Leader

Mary Keeling is a research leader at the RAND Corporation. Focusing on defence and security at RAND Europe, her main role is as the research manager of the Forces in Mind Trust Research Centre. Prior to joining RAND, she worked in academia.

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