Globalization, the digital revolution, the lingering effects of the Great Recession, and the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have significantly changed the kinds of work Americans do, how they do that work, where they work, and what and how they get paid. Understanding these trends is a vital first step in responding to them in productive ways.

NORC has been at the forefront of helping businesses, government agencies, and other stakeholders explore national and global employment trends, studying issues as diverse as how Americans age through the workforce, the re-integration of people who were incarcerated into the labor market, the career arcs of doctoral degree holders in the STEM fields, and the effectiveness of youth vocational training in the developing world