The care economy is a fundamental segment of the labor force, supporting the needs of vulnerable groups such as children, older adults, and those with health challenges and disabilities. A new report from the New Jersey Statewide Data System provides an overview of...
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Laura Peck Co-Authors National Guide to Evaluating Causal Evidence in Education
Heldrich Center principal faculty fellow and Bloustein School associate professor Laura R. Peck, Ph.D., has co-authored a new national guide designed to help education leaders make informed decisions about programs, policies, and emerging technologies. The...
Hetling and Aguas Reflect on the 30th Anniversary of TANF
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.
Van Horn Quoted in CNBC
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...
New Law Enhances Student Access to Graduate Employment and Earnings Outcomes
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...
Generative Artificial Intelligence and the Workforce
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...
New Report Published – Generative Artificial Intelligence’s Impact on New Jersey’s Technology and Life Sciences Sectors: A Literature Review
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...
Rutgers Child Care Research Collaborative Releases Two New Briefs
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.,...
National Surveys Detail Workers’ Deep Concerns About Inflation and Job Security as New Administration and Congress Assume Control of the Federal Government
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...
Andrea Hetling, Ph.D., Guests on EJB Talks Podcast; Discusses Connecting Social Policy and Workforce Development to Advance Economic Security
Andrea Hetling, Ph.D., Professor of Public Policy and Director of the Heldrich Center, is the guest on the latest episode of the podcast, EJB Talks. Dr. Hetling and EJB Talks host Stuart Shapiro, Ph.D., Dean of the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy,...
Carl Van Horn Discusses the Struggles of Unemployed Americans in USA Today
For millions of Americans, finding a job can be a frustrating and isolating experience. In a new USA Today article, “I Need a Job to Save My Life: Inside the Desperate Hunt for Work in America,” Bloustein School Distinguished Professor of Public Policy and Heldrich...
Save the Date: A Legacy of Leadership — Celebrating Carl Van Horn and the Heldrich Center
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...
What fewer working teenagers could mean for the future workforce
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...
Selecting Key Industries: A Preliminary Labor Market Analysis
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...
Noncredit Education in New Jersey: Definitions, Data Systems, and Workforce Pell Readiness
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...
Van Horn Quoted in CNBC Story on Long-Term Unemployment
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.
Laying the Groundwork for Aligning New Jersey’s AI Initiatives with Entrepreneurial Needs
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...
New Law Establishes New Jersey Statewide Data System at the Heldrich Center
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...
New Jersey State Policy Lab Publishes Blog Post by Liana Lin
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...
Van Horn Quoted in New AARP Story
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...




















