As TANF turns 30, it is time to replace misguided conversations about fraud with dialogue rooted in dignity. That shift demands a person‑centered process, and one that allows frontline staff to serve as partners rather than gatekeepers.
Why people are dropping out of the workforce and not looking for new jobs: ‘The market wore me down’ This year, the number of announced layoffs in January reached a level not seen since 2009, during the Great Recession, according to data from global outplacement firm...
Media Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Laurie M. Harrington, Executive Director, lharrington@ejb.rutgers.edu / 848-932-1694 For more information: https://njsds.nj.gov New Law Enhances Student Access to Graduate Employment and Earnings Outcomes Legislation...
by Jessica Starace and Liana Lin The proliferation of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in the workplace, a type of artificial intelligence (AI) capable of generating new content, has fostered growing concerns about how deployment will impact work and...
Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is a machine-learning technology that uses reasoning, problem-solving, and creativity to generate new, original content from inputted text, audio and visual media, and other forms of data. The deployment of GenAI will...
The Rutgers Child Care Research Collaborative has released two new research briefs by Heldrich Center researchers. New Jersey’s Childcare Workforce: An Examination of Internet Job Postings from October 2023, by Liana Lin, Brittney Donovan, and Andrea Hetling, Ph.D.,...
Media Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACTS Carl Van Horn, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor and Director, vanhorn@rutgers.edu / (848) 932-1153 Robb C. Sewell, Assistant Director of Public Relations and Communications, rcsewell@ejb.rutgers.edu / (609) 217-8697 Half of...
Join us on Tuesday, May 11, 2027, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m., at The Heldrich Hotel in New Brunswick, NJ, for A Legacy of Leadership, a special evening honoring Carl Van Horn and celebrating 30 years of visionary leadership at the Heldrich Center. The event will recognize...
This is a pretty tough summer for young job-seekers. Outplacement firm Challenger Gray & Christmas predicts this will be the worst summer for teen hiring in the nearly 80 years that BLS has been gathering the data. The unemployment rate among 16-to-19-year-olds...
Researchers at the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development are currently engaged in a project with the New Jersey State Policy Lab to examine how New Jersey’s artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives can better align with the evolving needs of small...
As more adults pursue nondegree pathways for skill development and career advancement, and with the enactment of Workforce Pell in July 2025, which authorizes Pell Grants for training programs as short as 150 hours or eight weeks, the need for clear definitions and...
Long-term unemployment can have lasting consequences for workers, families, and the economy. In a recent CNBC story, Heldrich Center Director Carl Van Horn discusses the growing challenge of long-term unemployment and its hidden costs. Read or listen to the story.
In a new blog post, Heldrich Center Research Project Assistant Lily McFarland outlines early findings from a project with the New Jersey State Policy Lab examining how New Jersey’s public AI initiatives can better align with the needs of small businesses. She...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE New Law Establishes New Jersey Statewide Data System at the Heldrich Center Legislation Formalizes a Secure, Statewide Data Platform to Strengthen Education and Workforce Policy New Brunswick, New Jersey — January 26, 2026 — The John J. Heldrich...
How are New Jersey’s small businesses — especially minority- and women-owned firms — perceiving and adopting artificial intelligence (AI)? A New Jersey State Policy Lab blog post by Liana Lin, Research Project Manager at the Heldrich Center, previews a research study...
Carl Van Horn was interviewed for an AARP story about whether older job seekers should pay for assistance with their job search. He suggests that older job seekers instead seek support from colleagues, associates, and friends. Van Horn is Director of the Heldrich...
A new Multi-State Teacher Workforce Report from the New Jersey Statewide Data System, developed in partnership with the Rhode Island Longitudinal Data System, provides a comprehensive, data-driven view of the educator pipeline. By addressing a longstanding challenge...
The New Jersey Statewide Data System is pleased to announce the release of an updated Multi-State Postsecondary Report, linking postsecondary completion data to employment outcomes across Kentucky, New Jersey, Ohio, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Virginia. This effort...
Andrea Hetling, Ph.D. was recently interviewed for an NJ.com article examining new Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) restrictions in New Jersey. She discusses SNAP recipients and the varied reasons they require public assistance. Dr. Hetling is a...
Mikie Sherrill, Governor-Elect of the State of New Jersey, has appointed Carl Van Horn, Ph.D., to serve as Co-Chair of her transition’s Jobs and Prosperity Committee. In addition, Heldrich Center National Advisory Board member Charles Wowkanech has been appointed as...