Worker Voices
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Fostering maximum employment: Why the Federal Reserve studies investments in America’s workforce
The Federal Reserve’s dual mandate includes promoting maximum employment. This article features examples of the various ways Fed research, outreach, and partnerships contribute to achieving this optimal state of the labor market.
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Rutger’s Heldrich Center uses data to help bolster workforce initiatives
The John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development provides research expertise and analysis to organizations, including the Fed, to help improve education, training, and workforce development programs that affect employers and employees.
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Workforce as an investment: Philadelphia Fed Patrick Harker reflects on the Fed’s work in building a more inclusive workforce
In this Q&A, outgoing Philadelphia Fed President and CEO Patrick Harker, who has helmed the Philly Fed since 2015, reflects on why he views workforce development as an investment, how the Fed’s role in supporting workers has evolved, and how listening to communities has shaped his approach to monetary policy.
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Using Qualitative Research to Understand the Economy: A Toolkit
The toolkit offers insights on using community-engaged qualitative research practices gleaned from the Federal Reserve’s Worker Voices Project and shows how others can use these methods in their own work. This toolkit is for researchers, policymakers, employers, and workforce organizations interested in partnering with the populations they serve and elevating community perspectives.
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![[Watch] Approaches to and Lessons Learned from Community-Engaged Research](https://fedcommunities.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/connecting-communities-community-engaged-research.jpg?w=1024)
[Watch] Approaches to and Lessons Learned from Community-Engaged Research
In this Connecting Communities webinar, hear examples of how community-engaged methods can highlight the experience of workers and jobseekers. Watch or listen on demand.
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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.
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Worker Voices Special Brief: Self-Employment, Dreams Versus Reality
Worker Voices participants described weighing the tradeoffs of self-employment from the independence it gave to its income generation potential. This research found that participants were pushed or pulled into self-employment for a variety of factors and their experiences did not align with their expectations of this work.
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Worker Voices Special Brief: Pursuing Advancement through Personal Investment
Worker Voices participants described their persistence in taking steps to improve their employment outcomes. They pursued skill-building opportunities and were more willing to leave lower-quality jobs, sometimes to pursue self-employment instead. However, their efforts were met with mixed results.
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Worker Voices Special Brief: Barriers to Employment
Worker Voices participants described the challenges facing individuals without a four-year degree as they navigated the job market during a global pandemic. Common barriers to work included an evolving labor market, individual attributes, work-family conflicts, and concerns regarding individual well-being.
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‘We’re looking for a place where we belong’: What we learned from talking to workers
As we think of ways to build the strong economy of tomorrow, we cannot afford to leave workers without a four-year degree, and their enormous potential, on the sidelines. “I […]