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Our Research

Insight and strategies to build an inclusive and sustainable workforce by recognizing the skills and potential of STARs

Barriers and Breakthroughs: Framework to Improve STAR Economic Mobility

Barriers and Breakthroughs: Framework to Improve STAR Economic Mobility

Reach for the STARs: Skills and Economic Mobility in the AI Economy

Reach for the STARs: Skills and Economic Mobility in the AI Economy

Navigating with the STARs: Reimagining Equitable Pathways to Mobility

Navigating with the STARs: Reimagining Equitable Pathways to Mobility

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Our data on STARs changed the national conversation around workforce.

Opportunity@Work’s analytical and research capabilities inform the nation’s understanding of STARs' potential in the labor market and uncover insights that show how to make positive economic change within regions and industries, and within groups of STARs.

Our research has been featured in:

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The Limits of Educational Attainment in Mitigating Occupational Segregation Between Black and White Workers
Paper
The Limits of Educational Attainment in Mitigating Occupational Segregation Between Black and White Workers

This paper introduces a dissimilarity index to measure racial occupational segregation between Black and white workers with and without bachelor’s degrees from 1980 to 2019, and uses a Monte Carlo simulation to compare observed segregation levels to predicted levels under race-neutral conditions.

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Occupational Segregation Drives Persistent Inequality, Study Says
Article
Occupational Segregation Drives Persistent Inequality, Study Says

New research points to the limits of education as a path to upward mobility for Black workers.

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How About Offering Apprenticeships For People Who Already Work For You?
Article
How About Offering Apprenticeships For People Who Already Work For You?

Apprenticeships leave out the 95M frontline workers who already have jobs, but who still may need additional education to move up in their careers.

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The Changing Face of Apprenticeships - Wally Boston
Article
The Changing Face of Apprenticeships - Wally Boston

Opportunity@Work is a proponent of apprenticeships and released a report, with Lightcast, titled The Changing Face of Apprenticeships.

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Could one-year apprenticeships become a thing in tech?
Article
Could one-year apprenticeships become a thing in tech?

The hot labor market drove a 41% increase last year in registered apprenticeship programs in tech fields.

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The Future Of Postsecondary Education Relies On Changing How We Hire
Article
The Future Of Postsecondary Education Relies On Changing How We Hire

In 2023, America’s workforce stands at a fork in the road.

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Millions Have Lost a Step Into the Middle Class, Researchers Say (Published 2022)
Article
Millions Have Lost a Step Into the Middle Class, Researchers Say (Published 2022)

The new figure points to the challenge for the majority of Americans who do not have a four-year college degree.

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Reach for the STARs Launch (March 12, 2020)
Video
Reach for the STARs Launch (March 12, 2020)

Hosted by Opportunity@Work’s Byron Auguste and Accenture’s Marty Rodgers, this event dove into the groundbreaking new research that reveals a hidden talent pool of 71 million U.S. workers who do not have four-year degrees — but are STARs and have the potential to thrive in higher-wage jobs.

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Who Are STARs?
Blogs
Who Are STARs?

In our inaugural post in the STARlight Blog Series, we made the case for building a STARs-powered economy to help us overcome the COVID crisis. As we move towards recovery, it’s important to understand STARs’ potential to move into better-paying jobs.

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STAR Research Community

Activating a collaborative community of researchers

We conduct our own research, but that’s only the beginning. We also seek out and encourage the participation of research partners and collaborators.

Our goal? To inspire others to pursue new research—and question conventional wisdom on our workers, talent management practices, and workforce development. Over time, the available data and insights will multiply, delivering answers to every question that’s at the heart of economic mobility for STARs.

Visit the Research Community

Our Research Partners

Senior Advisors to Opportunity@Work’s STARs Research Network

Adina Sterling

Associate Professor of Management

Erica Groshen

Former Commissioner, Bureau of Labor Statistics

Peter Q. Blair

Assistant Professor, Harvard University

STAR Stories

Read about the barriers, challenges, and possibilities that STARs are seeing today — and why they're hopeful for a brighter future.

Read STAR Stories

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