Related Resources
How the Fed goes beyond the data to try to make the economy work for everyone
Utilizing qualitative data from various sources helps paint a comprehensive picture of economic well-being and guides policy discussions at the Federal Reserve. Amidst uncertainties, staying connected to the pulse of real-world experiences remains key.
Opportunity occupations: Joining the workforce
Opportunity occupations, which are good-paying jobs for people without a four-year college degree, are the focus of a short documentary by the Federal Reserve.
Exploring a Skills-Based Approach to Occupational Mobility
This report suggests that job training and hiring practices that emphasize transferrable skills could help employers fill in-demand or hard-to-fill positions and provide new career opportunities for workers who have been laid-off, furloughed, or simply want a career change. Transitions connecting the most similar occupations would represent an average annual increase in wages of nearly $15,000 (or 49 percent).
Opportunity Occupations Revisited: Exploring Employment for Sub-Baccalaureate Workers
This report finds that opportunity employment—defined as employment accessible to workers without a bachelor’s degree and typically paying above the national annual median wage, adjusted for regional differences in consumer prices—accounts for 21.6 percent of total employment in the metro areas analyzed.