Documents dramatic erosion in the quality of life for millions of Americans as a result of the Great Recession.
Shattered American Dream: Unemployed Workers Lose Ground, Hope, and Faith in their Futures
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Research Products by Research Area
Research Products
No End in Sight: The Agony of Prolonged Unemployment
Documents workers’ continuing struggle to find jobs and the sacrifices they have endured in a punishing economy.
Ready and Able (webinar)
Webinar about building productive careers for people with disabilities.
New Education and Skills Requirements for the New Jersey Economy
Examines changing needs in the workforce posed by a global economy.
Workplace Divided: How Americans View Discrimination and Race on the Job
Work Trends survey on discrimination.
One-Stop Innovations: Leading Change Under the WIA One-Stop System Final Report
Examines promising practices supporting One-Stop Career Centers.
Coleridge Releases Blog Post and Case Study About New Jersey Statewide Data System
A new blog post and case study from Coleridge highlight how New Jersey has built one of the nation’s most comprehensive cross-agency data systems, allowing the state to track outcomes from K–12 education through employment. Historically, state agencies operated in...
New Jersey State Financial Aid Outcomes Dashboard Released
The New Jersey Statewide Data System (NJSDS) recently released the New Jersey State Financial Aid Outcomes Dashboard. This dashboard shows outcomes calculated by linking longitudinal higher education data from the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education and wage...
Coleridge Presents State of New Jersey with Data Champion of the Year Award
Coleridge recently presented its Data Champion of the Year Award for 2026 to the State of New Jersey. The award recognizes exceptional leadership in advancing trust, collaboration, and the effective use of data to improve public outcomes. The award was presented to...
New Jersey Postsecondary Employment and Earnings Dashboard
The New Jersey Statewide Data System is pleased to release its updated Postsecondary Employment and Earnings Dashboard. This dashboard uses linked, longitudinal administrative data from the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education and the New Jersey Department of...
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 Research Finds College STEM Pathways Are a Two-Way Street, Not a “Leaky Pipeline”
A new article in the Journal for STEM Education Research challenges the longstanding “leaky pipeline” narrative that has shaped U.S. education and workforce policy for decades. The study finds that while many students who enter college intending to major in STEM...
Francisco Maldonado-Ramírez, Esq., J.D.
Francisco Maldonado-Ramírez, Esq., is the Senior Counsel for Policy and External Affairs at the New Jersey Laborers’ Employers’ Cooperative Education Trust (New Jersey LECET), where he works to create economic opportunities for workers by developing legislative policy...
Report from Governor Sherrill Transition Team Highlights Jobs and Economic Opportunity
The Office of New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill has released the report of the Jobs, Opportunity, and Prosperity for All action team, which was tasked with developing job and economic growth strategies for the state. The task force was co-chaired by Carl Van Horn,...
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...
Andrea Hetling Appointed to APPAM Governing Board
Congratulations to Andrea Hetling, Ph.D., on her appointment to the Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management (APPAM) Policy Council, the organization’s governing board. In this role, Dr. Hetling will help shape APPAM’s strategic direction and policy...
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...
New Multi-State Teacher Workforce Report Now Available
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...
Updated Multi-State Postsecondary Report Released
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...