The Department of Labor (DOL) supports employment and training programs to improve the employment prospects of American workers so that they may obtain and keep good jobs.
The Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) works with the Employment and Training Administration, the Veterans’ Employment and Training Service, and other DOL agencies to conduct rigorous research to generate information on the effectiveness of employment and training programs, policies, and strategies. This research supports DOL in continuous improvement efforts in the design and implementation of evidence-based programs and policies.
Explore CEO’s current studies and completed reports on employment and training.
Completed Reports:
Equity in Grantmaking: A Review of Barriers and Strategies for Funders Considering Improvement Opportunities
(Final Report, August 2024)
2024 Veteran Employment Data Catalog
(Data Catalog, August 2024)
Explorations in Data Innovations—Can Machine Learning Support Data Catalog Development?
(Final Report, July 2024)
Strengthening Community College Training Grants Round 1 Grantee Interim Report Synthesis
(Interim Report Synthesis, July 2024)
Catalog of Data Sources on New Americans
(Data Catalog, May 2024)
Catalog of Employment and Training Programs Serving New Americans
(Program Catalog, May 2024)
Bridging the Gap for New Americans Final Report
(Final Report, April 2024)
Onsite Construction Workforce Utilization by Sex and Race/Ethnicity Research Brief & Appendices
(Research Brief & Appendices, April 2024)
Apprenticeship as a Tool to Improve Diversity in Construction: What Do the Literature, Current Strategies, and Recent Data Tell Us?
(Research Brief, April 2024)
Building an Equitable Construction Workforce: Understanding and Increasing the Proportion of Women and People of Color in Construction
(Final Combined Report, April 2024)
Cost-Benefit Analysis for RESEA Programs: A Handbook (April 2024)
Evaluation of the TechHire and Strengthening Working Families Initiative Grant Programs: Two-Year Impacts Report
(Impact Report, December 2023)
Pathway Home Evaluation Brief: 2021 Grants at a Glance
(November 2023)
Pathway Home Evaluation Brief: Establishing Grant Programs Inside Correctional Facilities
(November 2023)
Pathway Home Evaluation Brief: Establishing Reentry Services to Support People After Release
(November 2023)
The Impact of Regional Sectoral Training Partnerships: Findings from America’s Promise
(October 2023)
Employment Research Brief: The Impact of Regional Sectoral Training Partnerships: Findings from America’s Promise
(October 2023)
How the COVID-19 Pandemic Affected State Apprenticeship Systems Takeaways from Eight States: Apprenticeship Evidence-Building Portfolio
(September 2023)
State Incentives to Promote and Support Apprenticeship Takeaways from Eight States: Apprenticeship Evidence-Building Portfolio
(September 2023)
Registered Apprenticeship Initiatives Evaluation
(September 2023)
Women in Apprenticeships and Nontraditional Occupations in the United States: Apprenticeship Evidence-Building Portfolio
(Research Report, September 2023)
LGBTQI+ Workers in Latin America
(August 2023)
Evaluation of the Transition Assistance Program (TAP)
(July 2023)
Using Behavioral Insights to Increase Youth Use of Workforce Services in Virtual Contexts
(May 2023)
Reentry Projects Grant Evaluation
(March 2023)
Understanding the Capacity of State Apprenticeship Systems: Apprenticeship Evidence-Building Portfolio
(February 2023)
Models of Youth Registered Apprenticeship Expansion: Evidence from the Youth Apprenticeship Readiness Grants
(February 2023)
Youth Apprenticeship in the United States: Apprenticeship Evidence-Building Portfolio
(February 2023)
Ready to Work Partnership Grant Evaluation
(December 2022)
This study was managed by the Employment and Training Administration, Office of Policy Development and Research, Division of Research and Evaluation.
America's Promise Job-Driven Grant Program Evaluation
(December 2022)
Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program Impact Evaluation
(December 2022)
Implementation Evaluation of the Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS) Apprenticeship Pilot
(December 2022)
Pathway Home Reentry Evaluation
(October 2022)
Older Workers Study
(September 2022)
The Great Recession: Lessons Learned for the Unemployment Insurance System
(August 2022)
Workforce Innovation Fund (WIF) Evaluations
(July 2022)
Completed in 2020, this study was managed by the Employment and Training Administration, Office of Policy Development and Research. Deliverables were produced outside of CEO's research development process.
Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessments (RESEA) Evidence Building and Implementation Study
(June 2022)
Job Corps Cascades Impact Study
(April 2022)
Evaluation of the TechHire and Strengthening Working Families Initiative (SWFI) Grant Programs
(April 2022)
Career Pathways Descriptive and Analytical Project
(January 2022)
Navigators in Social Service Delivery Settings: A Review of the Literature with Relevance to Workforce Development Programs
(January 2022)
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Research Portfolio Project
(January 2022)
National Health Emergency Demonstration Grants to Address the Opioid Crisis: Implementation Evaluation
(December 2021)
Training Vouchers, Cash Transfers, and Their Effects on Employment-Related Outcomes
(September 2021)
Analysis of Employer Performance Measurement Approaches
(April 2021)
Performance Partnership Pilots for Disconnected Youth (P3) National Evaluation
(April 2021)
National Guard Youth Challenge and Job Challenge Program Evaluation
(February 2021)
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Implementation Study: Title I and Title III Core Programs
(January 2021)
Stay at Work/Return to Work Models and Strategy Study
(December 2020)
Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) Initiative National Evaluation (2012-2020)
(September 2020)
Technology-Based Learning in Employment and Training
(August 2020)
- Technology-Based Learning in the Public Workforce System: Emerging Policy and Practices in States and American Job Centers
- The Use of Technology-Based Learning for Basic Skills in Job Corps
- Technology-Based Learning in Workforce Development and Education: A Review of the Research Literature
- Shaping a Portal Website: A Study of the Collaborative Online Workforce Education and Training Portal Demonstration Project
This study was sponsored by the Employment and Training Administration, Office of Policy Development and Research, Division of Research and Evaluation
Performance Partnership Pilots for Disconnected Youth (P3) National Evaluation
(August 2020)
Estimating Job Corps Cost per Enrollee and Cost per Graduate
(July 2020)
Youth CareerConnect Evaluation
(November 2019)
This study was sponsored by the Employment and Training Administration, Office of Policy Development and Research, Division of Research and Evaluation.
Evaluation of Grants Serving Young Offenders
(November 2019)
- Operating a Vocational Training Program in a Juvenile Correctional Facility: A Case Study
- Developing Pathways to Justice and Emergency Services Careers for At-Risk Youth: A Formative Evaluation
- Expunging Records, Opening Doors: A Profile of Face Forward Grantees’ Expungement Services
- Minimizing Youth Involvement with the Courts: A Profile of Face Forward Grantees’ Diversion Services
This study was sponsored by the Employment and Training Administration, Office of Policy Development and Research, Division of Research and Evaluation.
Reentry Projects Grant Evaluation
(Final Report, September 2019)
Early Experiences of the Performance Partnership Pilots (P3) for Disconnected Youth
(Final Report, September 2019)
Self-Employment Training (SET) Pilot Program Evaluation
(July 2019)
- Issue Brief – Impacts of a Pilot Program for Dislocated Workers After 18 Months
- Issue Brief – In Their Own Words: Voices of Study Participants in the Self-Employment Training Program
- Final Impact Report
- Final Impact Report Appendices
- Final Implementation Report
- Final Implementation Report Appendices
Comparing State and National Approaches to Education and Training Program Scorecards
(Final Report, July 2019)
Regional Collaboration to Create a High-Skilled Workforce: Evaluation of the Jobs and Innovations Accelerator Challenge Grants
(Final Report, July 2019)
Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor, and Human Trafficking Livelihoods Services Evaluation
(Final Report, June 2019)
Young Parents Demonstration (YPD) Evaluation
(June 2019)
- Brief on the Impact Findings from the Young Parents Demonstration Evaluation
- Rounds I and II Grantee Implementation and Impact Results
(June 2018) - Round III Grantee Implementation and Impact Results
(June 2018)
Feasibility Study and Evaluation of Non-Traditional Occupation Demonstrations Study
(June 2019)
National Job Corps Study: 20-Year Follow-Up Study Using Tax Data
(February 2019)
Veterans Employment and Training Services (VETS) Research Study Design
(February 2019)
Findings from the National Agricultural Workers Survey (NAWS) 2015-2016: A Demographic and Employment Profile of United States Farmworkers
(Final Report, January 2019)
Administrative Data Research and Analysis Project (ADRA): Comparisons of Data Sources on Earnings
(December 2018)
Comparing Job Training Impact Estimates using Survey and Administrative Data
(Final Report, December 2018)
Providing Public Workforce Services to Job Seekers: 30-month Impact Findings on the WIA Adult and Dislocated Worker Programs
(December 2018)
Challenges and Strategies Used to Operate Unemployment Insurance Programs During the Great Recession
(Literature Review, December 2018)
Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) Employer Perspectives Study
(Final Report, November 2018)
Laying a Foundation: Four-Year Results from the National YouthBuild Evaluation
(Final Report, November 2018)
Enhanced Transitional Jobs Demonstration Evaluation
(Final Report, November 2018)
America Job Centers’ (AJC) Institutional Analysis
(November 2018)
- Key Institutional Features of AJCs
- One-Stop Operators of the AJC System
- Resource Sharing Practices Among AJCs
- AJC Service Delivery in Rural Areas
- Study Highlights
Career Pathways Study
(May 2018)
- Career Pathways Design Study Findings in Brief
- Evaluation Design Options Report
- Career Pathways Research and Evaluation Synthesis
- Career Pathways Implementation Synthesis
- Career Pathways in Early Care and Education
The External Review of Job Corps
(April 2018)
Evaluation of Urban Youth Employment Demonstrations Grants
(November 2017)
A Study of the Self-Employment Assistance Program: Helping Unemployed Workers Pursue Self-Employment
(Final Report, January 2017)
A Longitudinal Survey of Unemployment Insurance Recipients in Two Regions in California
(Final Report, January 2017)
Reemployment and Eligibility Assessment (REA) Program Evaluation
(January 2017)
Promising Practices for Increasing Diversity Among First Responders
(December 2016)
Older Workers Study
(December 2016)
- Labor Market and DOL-Funded Employment Assistance for Older Workers: Literature Review Report
- Labor Market and DOL-Funded Employment Assistance for Older Workers: Statistical Analysis Report
- Issue Brief: Older Workers' Labor Force Transitions from Work to Retirement: Findings from Recent Studies, 2010-2015
Linking to Employment Activities Pre-Release (LEAP) Program Evaluation
(November 2016)
The 2015 Longitudinal Survey of Unemployment Insurance Recipients-California Pilot
(Survey Methodology Report, August 2016)
Exploring Reemployment Strategies for Army Veterans: Implementation of State Pilots
(Final Report, July 2016)
Additional Unemployment Compensation Benefits During the Great Recession: Recipients and Their Post-Claim Outcomes
(Final Report, March 2016)
Sector-Based Training Strategies: The Challenges of Matching Workers and Their Skills to Well-Paying Jobs
(Final Report, March 2016)
States' Decisions to Adopt Unemployment Compensation Provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
(Final Report, March 2016)
The United Services Military Apprenticeship Program (USMAP) Implementation Study and Feasibility of an Impact Study
(November 2015)
Understanding Adult Subpopulations Served by Workforce Investment Programs
(Final Report, August 2015)
Implementation of the EUC08 Reemployment Services and Reemployment Eligibility Assessments Program: Findings from Nine States
(Final Report, June 2015)
Using Workforce Data Quality Initiative Databases to Develop and Improve Consumer Report Card Systems
(Final Report, May 2014)
Formative Evaluation of Job Clubs Operated by Faith-And Community-Based Organizations
(Final Report, May 2014)
How Are Women Served by the WIA Adult and Dislocated Worker Programs? Findings from Administrative Data
(December 2012)
Implementation Evaluation of the ARRA Green Jobs and High Growth/Health Care Grants
(Final Report, February 2012)
Find more research in DOL’s Clearinghouse on Labor Evaluation and Research (CLEAR).
Labor Research Scholars and Grants
DOL and CEO fund grants and awards to support academic research that build evidence on labor issues important to the department. Read more about each research program and explore the final reports and datasets.
The Department of Labor’s (DOL) Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) sponsors independent evaluations and research, primarily conducted by external, third-party contractors in accordance with the Department of Labor Evaluation Policy. CEO’s research development process includes extensive technical review at the design, data collection and analysis stage, including: external contractor review and OMB review and approval of data collection methods and instruments per the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), Institutional Review Board (IRB) review to ensure studies adhere to the highest ethical standards, review by academic peers (e.g., Technical Working Groups), and inputs from relevant DOL agency and program officials and CEO technical staff. Final reports undergo an additional independent expert technical review and a review for Section 508 compliance prior to publication. The resulting reports represent findings from this independent research and do not represent DOL positions or policies.