Economic Opportunity

Government policies during the COVID-19 pandemic, including cash transfers and tax credits, reduced poverty in New York City, even while poverty citywide—particularly among minorities—persisted well above national averages, a report…

The harmful consequences of climate change are broad, from extreme weather events making locations uninhabitable to increased temperatures delivering larger and more frequent downstream damages, such as drought and increased hurricanes. These effects…

As we well know, people incarcerated in jails and prisons experience constant trauma, and are surrounded by brutality and violence that are impossible to escape. This experience has only grown worse in…

California Gov. Newsom recently made a nearly $3 billion dollar investment in the state budget to increase teacher preparation to recruit and retain qualified educators. Why was this necessary? Because California’s ongoing…

The big idea When people living in poverty in countries like Malawi, Indonesia and Ecuador receive cash payments without having to do anything in return, they have better health, according…

With rising job vacancies and a workforce and society that are aging, the United States already has a reservoir of human capital that is not fully tapped: The millions of…

After decades of declining unionization rates and rising income inequality in the United States, the past few years have seen glimmers of the vibrancy of the U.S. labor movement in…

The big idea During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, more than a third of Massachusetts households with a child under 5 didn’t have enough diapers to change their…

Even at current employment levels, today’s labor market development system leaves millions of aspiring workers ill-prepared for jobs that pay a living wage. While right and left argue about what…

At 5:30 p.m., December 10 of last year, they heard the unmistakable wail of tornado sirens. Some of the workers crafting cinnamon, pumpkin spice, and vanilla candles asked to go…

In ways large and small, the way we work continues to change as we carry into the rest of 2022 and emerge from two years of seismic change. A true…

Federal economic development policies and programs have long played a critical role in fostering opportunity and resiliency for small businesses. The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic impacts reminded us of…