Child Labor Violations Are On The Rise. Some States Are Making It Worse. In the NewsAugust 25, 2026 Child Labor Violations Are On The Rise. Some States Are Making It Worse. In an op-ed for The Contrarian, Veronica Goodman discusses how child labor violations have risen 54 percent in the past decade, and how some states are making this crisis worse. Aug 25, 2026 The Contrarian Veronica Goodman
Teen Employment Remains Weak ArticleAugust 7, 2026 Teen Employment Remains Weak The share of teens employed has slid from a high of 50 percent in 1978 to just 30.7 percent today, with teen boys and teens of color facing the steepest declines. This trend may signal where the broader economy is heading while also revealing a narrowing pipeline of early work experience that has historically given young people a stronger foothold later in their careers. Aug 7, 2026 Jazmine Amoako, Sara Estep, Jiun Park
Career and Technical Education Policy: A Multistate Case Study on Employment Outcomes ReportJuly 13, 2026 Career and Technical Education Policy: A Multistate Case Study on Employment Outcomes There is growing interest in scaling career and technical education, yet barriers to advancement remain. This report offers policy recommendations and case studies from states to expand these opportunities for more students. Jul 13, 2026 Veronica Goodman, Weadé James
Bipartisan and Republican-Led Coalitions Advance Fair Contracting Policies on Public Construction Projects ArticleJune 24, 2026 Bipartisan and Republican-Led Coalitions Advance Fair Contracting Policies on Public Construction Projects State and local policymakers across the political spectrum are adopting responsible bidder ordinances, prevailing wage standards, and apprenticeship utilization requirements to raise standards for workers and deliver better results for taxpayers. Jun 24, 2026 Jazmine Amoako, Karla Walter
6 Things To Know About Vocational Education ArticleJune 17, 2026 6 Things To Know About Vocational Education There is a growing demand for vocational education that prepares students for work and leads to higher earnings. Jun 17, 2026 Veronica Goodman, Weadé James
May’s Headline Jobs Numbers Mask Underlying Labor Market Slack ArticleJune 5, 2026 May’s Headline Jobs Numbers Mask Underlying Labor Market Slack The May 2026 jobs report shows continued job growth and a stable unemployment rate, but there are also signs that labor market weakness—including labor underutilization—is being felt by a growing number of Americans. Jun 5, 2026 Jazmine Amoako, Sara Estep
How Market-Based Sectoral Pay Standards Raise Wages and Improve Affordability ReportMay 5, 2026 How Market-Based Sectoral Pay Standards Raise Wages and Improve Affordability Policymakers can boost wages, improve affordability, and address public challenges by extending prevailing wage and other pay standards to the private sector. May 5, 2026 Karla Walter
Immigrants Make the Labor Market Great ArticleMarch 6, 2026 Immigrants Make the Labor Market Great CAP analysis of the February 2026 employment report shows that President Trump’s promises to native-born workers have yet to materialize while reduced immigration is poised to have a negative effect overall on employment and wages in the long run. Mar 6, 2026 Sara Estep, Kennedy Andara
Virginia Workers’ Biggest Win in Decades Could Come in 2026 ReportJanuary 12, 2026 Virginia Workers’ Biggest Win in Decades Could Come in 2026 Virginia lawmakers can empower hundreds of thousands of state and local government workers to unionize and bargain collectively over wages, benefits, and working conditions. Doing so will help make work pay for Virginia families; allow state and local governments to attract and retain well-qualified workers; and align with the values of everyday Americans. Jan 12, 2026 Karla Walter
Why Gen Z Men Are the Most Pro-Union Generation in History: Unions Build Stable Finances ArticleDecember 3, 2025 Why Gen Z Men Are the Most Pro-Union Generation in History: Unions Build Stable Finances Gen Z men support unions more strongly than any other group, both today and when older generations were their age. Looking at the gains from union membership for young men, it’s easy to understand why. Dec 3, 2025 Aurelia Glass
The Job Market Slowdown Continues ArticleOctober 10, 2025 The Job Market Slowdown Continues The labor market likely continued to slow in September. Oct 10, 2025 Christian E. Weller
Good Jobs for Government Workers Improve Public Services ReportSeptember 15, 2025 Good Jobs for Government Workers Improve Public Services By maintaining fair working conditions for government workers, state and local policymakers can increase productivity, improve public outcomes, support stable revenues, and attract the next generation of public servants. Sep 15, 2025 Karla Walter, Sachin Shiva