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

More than 75 million STARs bring valuable skills to the labor market. An AI transformation that works for everyone will put those capabilities at the center of how employers hire, promote, develop, and retain workers.

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Advancing STAR Mobility in the AI Economy
Research
Advancing STAR Mobility in the AI Economy

In partnership with Brookings Metro, this research shows how AI is reshaping career pathways, not just jobs, and what that means for regional economies.

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Activating STAR Talent Across Regions: STAR Mobility Compass
Research
Activating STAR Talent Across Regions: STAR Mobility Compass

The STAR Mobility Compass shows how regional leaders can expand job pathways, improve wages, and ensure access to emerging work so more workers who are Skilled Through Alternative Routes can move into better-paying jobs.

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Activating Talent in the Public Sector: The STAR Mobility Compass
Research
Activating Talent in the Public Sector: The STAR Mobility Compass

The STAR Mobility Compass shows that it is possible to make significant improvements to STAR mobility and strengthen hiring pipelines by prioritizing skills in hiring, compensation, and job design.

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Up to 30 Million in U.S. Have the Skills to Earn 70% More, Researchers Say (Published 2020)
Article
Up to 30 Million in U.S. Have the Skills to Earn 70% More, Researchers Say (Published 2020)

The findings point to the potential of upward mobility for people without a college degree.

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Navigating with the STARs Infographic
Infographic
Navigating with the STARs Infographic

Infographic from our report, Navigate with the STARs: Reimagining Equitable Pathways to Mobility

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Navigate with the STARs: Reimagining Equitable Pathways to Mobility
Video
Navigate with the STARs: Reimagining Equitable Pathways to Mobility

Video overview of our report, Navigate with the STARs: Reimagining Equitable Pathways to Mobility.

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Rise with the STARs - New Research in New York Times
Blogs
Rise with the STARs - New Research in New York Times

Outstanding analysis in the New York Times by Steve Lohr on Opportunity@Work’s new research quantifies the damage done by two decades of rising career barriers to over 70 million U.S. workers who don’t have bachelor’s degrees.

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Scholars Share Insights to Understand Labor Market Mobility for STARs
Blogs
Scholars Share Insights to Understand Labor Market Mobility for STARs

Opportunity@Work organized panel to dive into how skills-based hiring overcomes labor market exclusion at APPAM, the largest conference convening of academics, policy makers, and practitioners.

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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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