In the Age of A.I., America Needs Apprentices

Old-School Training Can Prepare College Graduates for Today’s Workplace

The surprise hit song of the summer came from a Virginia singer-songwriter named Oliver Anthony.

I’ve been sellin’ my soul, workin’ all day
Overtime hours for bullshit pay…
…Young men are puttin’ themselves six feet in the ground
‘Cause all this damn country does is keep on kickin’ them down

“Rich Men North of Richmond” made Anthony the first unknown artist to debut at No. 1. He was singing for a young generation of outsiders with no way to break into the economy—and as an indictment of those profiting off them.

Young Americans …

by Ryan Craig | November 8, 2023

Four panelists sitting in front of a blue backdrop that has the logos of Zócalo Public Square and The James Irvine Foundation on it. The panelists are, from left to right: Cresencio Rodriguez-Delgado, Janette Dill, Helda Pinzón-Perez, and Martha Valladarez.

Better Health Care Starts with Better Health Care Jobs

The Industry Needs Higher Wages, More Paid Leave, and Pathways to Advancement

by Joe Mathews | July 14, 2023

The most important healthcare workers in this country—entry-level workers who do the caregiving and provide preventive services—are often paid poverty-level wages and provided insufficient benefits and supports, said panelists at …

Who Cares for Caregivers’ Families While They’re Caring for Us?

A Mass Exodus Looms if the Profession Can’t Offer Workers the Childcare, Wages, and Leave Programs They Need to Stay

by Vicki Shabo | July 13, 2023

In March 2020, when Congress enacted the country’s first-ever federal paid sick time and child care leave policy, it carved millions of people out of the law’s guarantees, …

Workcred Director of Research Isabel Cardenas-Navia | Zocalo Public Square • Arizona State University • Smithsonian

Workcred Senior Director of Research Isabel Cardenas-Navia

I Am Very Fast on My Calculator

October 21, 2021

Isabel Cardenas-Navia is the senior director of research at Workcred, an affiliate of the American National Standards Institute whose mission is to strengthen workforce quality by improving the credentialing system. …

How Will Robot Trucks Change American Life?

For All the Promise of Automotive Trucking, the Future of Our Freight System Has a Human Problem

by Sara Suárez | January 19, 2021

Robotic trucks are beginning to roll out, carrying cargo and promises of revolutionizing freight hauling, reducing traffic, and lowering pollution. But previous waves of automation have eliminated millions of jobs …

It Took Six Major Depressions and a Lot of Out-of-Work Americans to Create a National Unemployment Count

What the Monthly Reports Measure, What They Miss, and How They Were Established

by Frank Stricker | September 9, 2020

Monthly public reports on jobs and the unemployment rate are such a staple of American civic life that it can seem as if they’ve always been with us. But these …

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