Impact
As an innovative and influential hub for research, education, and outreach, IRLE plays a leading role in finding solutions to pressing social and economic issues.
For more than 80 years, the labor research and education programs at IRLE and our centers have delivered reliable, evidence-based research to California policymakers and the public on the issues shaping the lives of working people. Amid rapid social, political, and economic change, our mission remains constant: to inform effective public policy through rigorous analysis applied to real-world problems.
Today, IRLE researchers are informing the debate on key economic justice issues, including the impacts of safety net cuts on working families, strategies for a just transition to a carbon-neutral economy, pathways to a more equitable child care system, and worker-centered approaches to AI adoption.
Our research and programs uplift workers, students, retirees, and immigrants. Through our community and student engagement programs we foster a pipeline of emerging labor leaders and scholars that reflects the diversity of California.
Shaping Policy
“The research coming out of IRLE on the pressing issues facing working people today is invaluable for protecting the rights of workers and understanding California’s economy.”
Congressman Mark DeSaulnier
Among other recent achievements, our policy research, technical assistance, and training programs played an important role in:
Shifting Media Narratives
“The Berkeley team builds on a tradition of headline-making, mind-changing research.”
Andrew Van Dam, Washington Post, on research from the Center on Wage and Employment Dynamics
State and national media, including major outlets like The New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Sacramento Bee, and CalMatters, frequently cite our studies and seek out commentary and insights from our experts.
Providing Government Testimony and Technical Assistance
Our researchers provide expert testimony and technical assistance on labor standards and other policies to a broad range of stakeholders, including state and city legislators and agencies, regional and national think tanks, community-based organizations, unions, and foundations. Notable stakeholders include:
- U.S. Department of Education
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families
- U.S. Department of Labor
- U.S. House Committee on Education and Labor
- Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Federal Reserve Board
- National Council of State Legislatures
- California Attorney General’s Office
- California Assembly Health Committee
Training a New Generation of Labor Scholars and Leaders
Each year, IRLE’s dissertation fellowships, graduate student research awards, and Social Sciences Research Pathways program provide funding and research experience to over 100 Berkeley undergraduate and graduate students.
Our student engagement program connects students directly with worker organizations through academic credit field study classes and paid student internships. From 2019-2022, we reached nearly 1,400 students through our classes and programs.
The Labor Center’s leadership development program helps worker and community organizations conduct their work more strategically. In the past three years, nearly 4,000 workers participated in our programs.
Annual Reports
Explore our impact year by year.
Support IRLE
IRLE partners with faculty and experts at UC Berkeley and beyond to foster innovative analysis and research that influences policy and improves workers’ lives. Your donation supports student programs and awards, which in turn supports new and established academics as they deliver hard evidence about inequality, the economy, and the nature of work.
