Skip to main content

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

‍

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:

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Getting Hispanic STARs the Skills and Supports they Need to Succeed
Blogs
Getting Hispanic STARs the Skills and Supports they Need to Succeed

Opportunity@Work’s recent study found that Hispanic workers make up a disproportionate number of the workers in the U.S. without college degrees who already have the skills to succeed in high-wage jobs.

Read More
Read More
Building back better means hiring more workers skilled through alternative routes
Article
Building back better means hiring more workers skilled through alternative routes

The statistics are sobering. About 31 million workers — including millions of Hispanic workers — possess skills that qualify them for higher-paying roles they are never considered for.

Read More
Read More
The college degree barrier to work
Article
The college degree barrier to work

There are millions of Americans who have the skills to get higher-level, higher-paying jobs but aren't considered for those roles because they don't have college degrees.

Read More
Read More
Shedding Light on Rural STARs
Research
Shedding Light on Rural STARs

A report from ACT and Opportunity@Work explores the challenges and opportunities facing rural STARs, while also highlighting the potential of leveraging data-driven tools and STAR-centered workforce initiatives to better support a vital yet often overlooked segment of the U.S. workforce.

Read More
Read More
The Impact of State Actions: States Move the Needle on Skills-Based Hiring
Research
Paper
The Impact of State Actions: States Move the Needle on Skills-Based Hiring

States Move the Needle on Skills-Based Hiring

Read More
Read More
Barriers and Breakthroughs: Framework to Improve STAR Economic Mobility
Research
Barriers and Breakthroughs: Framework to Improve STAR Economic Mobility

The STAR Barriers and Breakthroughs Framework identifies six key contributors to STAR economic mobility and the many interventions and investments that can support a STAR’s career progression.

Read More
Read More
Look to the STARs: Activating Talent in a Regional Market
Research
Look to the STARs: Activating Talent in a Regional Market

Employers can find the talent they need, transform their local and regional labor markets, and boost STAR mobility by embracing a collective approach to skills-based job pathways.

Read More
Read More
Occupational Segregation: Confronting the Labor Market’s Racial Divide
Research
Paper
Occupational Segregation: Confronting the Labor Market’s Racial Divide

Black and white workers with similar levels of education are concentrated in different jobs with negative impacts on wages and mobility.

Read More
Read More
The Changing Face of Apprenticeships: New Opportunities for Employers and STARs
Research
The Changing Face of Apprenticeships: New Opportunities for Employers and STARs

Research from Lightcast and Opportunity@Work shows how apprenticeships are on the rise as a solution to tear the paper ceiling separating employers and the talent they need.

Read More
Read More

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

Join Our Newsletter

Sign up for exclusive insights, industry news, upcoming webinars, and events.

Submit
Thank you for signing up! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.