Research Centers
IRLE is home to several nationally-recognized centers conducting research, education, and outreach on pressing labor and employment issues.

Center for Labor Research & Education (Labor Center)
The Labor Center conducts research on issues such as jobs in the green economy, retirement security, low-wage employment, and the effects of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on California working families. The Center’s education and leadership trainings are educating a diverse new generation of labor leaders.

California Policy Lab
A joint project of UC Berkeley and UC Los Angeles, the California Policy Lab (CPL) partners with California’s state and local governments to evaluate and improve public programs through cutting-edge empirical research and technical assistance. CPL creates data-driven insights aimed at tackling California’s most urgent problems, including homelessness, poverty, crime, and education inequality.

California Public Employee Relations
California Public Employee Relations (CPER) is the leading program on California public sector labor and employment relations. CPER covers recent developments and laws relating to employment in local government, public schools, higher education, and state government through its pocket guides.
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment
The Center for the Study of Child Care Employment (CSCCE) is the national leader in early care and education workforce research and policy since 1999. CSCCE acts on the premise that educators should be valued, respected, and guaranteed economic dignity, and that the provision of early care and education is a public responsibility.

Center on Wage and Employment Dynamics
The Center on Wage and Employment Dynamics (CWED) was established in 2007 to focus on wage and employment trends in contemporary labor markets. CWED is nationally recognized for its trailblazing research on the impact of minimum and subminimum wage policies, as well as the effects of the Great Recession, public sector workers, low-wage labor markets, and teacher pay.