How did workers in lower-wage roles and job seekers without a Bachelor’s degree experience the labor market during the COVID-19 pandemic? To find answers to this question, the Federal Reserve held virtual focus groups across the United States from May to September 2022. The findings from this study are reported in a new publication, Worker Voices: Shifting Perspectives and Expectations on Employment. Available are the executive summary, the complete report, and the study methodology.

Carl Van Horn, Director of the Heldrich Center and Distinguished Professor of Public Policy at Rutgers University, assisted in the development of the study in collaboration with the authors from the Federal Reserve Banks of Atlanta and Philadelphia.