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Public Policy

Climate Jobs Institute's Offshore Wind Webinar Launches New CAROW Series

Cornell ILRs Center for Applied Research on Work (CAROW) kicked off a new webinar series with the Climate Jobs Institute, "The Future of Offshore Wind in New York State: What Will It Take to Build a Large, Vibrant and Equitable Industry?" on February 13, 2024.
Offshore Wind Banner Image
Climate Jobs Institute's Offshore Wind Webinar Launches New CAROW Series

Higher NYS Minimum Wage Would Boost Spending, Create Jobs

Cornell Chronicle
Raising New York state’s minimum hourly wage to $21.25, as proposed in the NYS Raise the Wage Act currently before the state Legislature, would help nearly two-thirds of workers earn a living wage, according to data from the Cornell ILR Wage Atlas.
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Higher NYS Minimum Wage Would Boost Spending, Create Jobs

New Report finds New Yorkers want increased investment in child care

On March 8, the ILR Buffalo Co-Lab released “The Status of Child Care Across New York State;” marking the third phase in an action research project on the true cost of child care.
Four child care advocates sit at a table; one is talking and the others watch.
New Report finds New Yorkers want increased investment in child care

Living Wage Deep Dive

As a companion to the living wage explainer, here we explore details about calculating meaningful living wages.
Modified map illustrating counties in New York State
Living Wage Deep Dive

What is a Living Wage?

We explain how you can figure out a meaningful living wage for an area. We help make sense of the kinds of data you need, and link to calculators for more exploration.
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What is a Living Wage?

ILR Faculty Featured on New Cornell Keynotes Podcast

Cornell Chronicle
JR Keller and Timothy McNutt will be featured on the recently launched eCornell Keynotes podcast, created to deliver a new audio option for audiences seeking knowledge from Cornell experts on current events and trending topics.
Cornell keynotes logo
ILR Faculty Featured on New Cornell Keynotes Podcast

ILR Hosts Albany Policymakers to Show Impact of State Funding

Representatives from both the NY State legislative and executive branches gathered on the ILR campus on Thursday morning to officially launch the New York at Work annual report.
Ariel Avgar addresses NY State policymakers
ILR Hosts Albany Policymakers to Show Impact of State Funding

Washington State Climate Jobs Report Released

The Evergreen State has positioned itself as a climate leader in America, but a new report from the ILR Climate Jobs Institute reveals there is much more to be done to ensure that its climate investments maximize high-quality job creation, equity and economic development.
A scenic image of Washington state
Washington State Climate Jobs Report Released

Regional Town-Gown Conference Focuses on Labor, Employment

Cornell Chronicle
Community leaders and ILR School experts discussed issues such as childcare, remote and hybrid work, and housing and demographic trends at the Regional Town-Gown Conference, held April 18 at the Hotel Ithaca.
ILR Dean Alex Colvin speaks at the Regional Town-Gown Conference
Regional Town-Gown Conference Focuses on Labor, Employment

Skinner presents at the White House Forum on Campus and Community-Scale Climate Change Solutions

Skinner, Executive Director of the Climate Jobs Institute at Cornell ILR, presents at the White House Forum on Campus and Community-Scale Climate Change Solutions
The White House Logo
Skinner presents at the White House Forum on Campus and Community-Scale Climate Change Solutions

Climate Jobs Institute Milestone Marked

The institute is a critical partner in New York’s nation-leading effort to address climate change, Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said.
Alex Colvin speaks at the formal launch of the Climate Jobs Institute.
Climate Jobs Institute Milestone Marked

Raising and Indexing State Minimum Wage Would Have a Large Impact on Women, People of Color, and Immigrants in Western New York

Dr. Russell Weaver, Sam Magavern, and Haley Smith issue policy brief on impact of NYS raising the minimum wage.
Photo of a pay stub
Raising and Indexing State Minimum Wage Would Have a Large Impact on Women, People of Color, and Immigrants in Western New York

Fewer Than 40% of New Yorkers Earn a Living Wage

Cornell Chronicle
The Cornell ILR Wage Atlas, a new tool out of the Buffalo Co-Lab, shows who in New York state earns living wages and where, helping policymakers and other stakeholders to understand patterns of inequality.
A screen shot of the Cornell ILR Wage Atlas
Fewer Than 40% of New Yorkers Earn a Living Wage

Moment or Movement? Organizing Superstars Speak Out

Jaz Brisack, Simon Rosenblum-Larson, Jessica Garcia and Heather Goodall shared their insights about the organizing process and workers’ goals at a panel on campus.
Jaz Brisack, one of the main leaders of organizing efforts at Starbucks
Moment or Movement? Organizing Superstars Speak Out

Panelists Discuss Pay Transparency

Closing pay gaps will require employers, some of whom have little infrastructure or capacity to uphold the law, to think carefully about their compensation spectrum, experts said at an ILR forum.
Jacqueline M. Ebanks, executive director of the New York City Commission on Gender Equity
Panelists Discuss Pay Transparency

Explainer: New NYC Pay Law

Beginning today, employers with four or more employees or with one or more domestic workers must include a salary range when advertising jobs to be performed in New York City.
Esta Bigler
Explainer: New NYC Pay Law

Starbucks Organizing Discussion April 22

"The Moment for a Movement: Starbucks and the Slow Drip of Starting a Union" is a Union Days event.
Newly organized Starbucks workers celebrate.
Starbucks Organizing Discussion April 22

ILR Research Informs Multiple Audiences

ILR’s teaching and outreach is based on the school’s research, which scholars, students, journalists and the public rely on to inform their work.
ILR's King-Shaw Hall
ILR Research Informs Multiple Audiences

Labor Tracker Serves as Resource

As labor unrest continues to surge, the ILR Labor Action Tracker founded in 2021 continues to provide nationwide information on strikes and other worker actions.
2021 Tracker Statistics
Labor Tracker Serves as Resource

Yang-Tan Institute Announces Directors

Andrew Karhan and Wendy Strobel Gower will serve in positions named by K. Lisa Yang ’74 in honor of Thomas Golden.
Wendy Strobel Gower and Andrew Karhan  headshots
Yang-Tan Institute Announces Directors

Record year for job growth reaches disappointing end as gains slow in December

Russell Weaver, ILR school researcher, gathered two important points in the Bureau of Labor Statistics report. Weaver shared, “We’re still down almost 4 million jobs since the start of the pandemic – and the positive trends toward greater employment and labor force participation between November and December weren’t equitable.”
Screen shot of Komono News article website
Record year for job growth reaches disappointing end as gains slow in December

Cultural Audits Support Workplace Equity

Basic training isn’t enough to stem sexual harassment in the workplace, cultural audits are needed to measure the “pulse” of organizations, according to KC Wagner.
A woman cringes as her co-worker places a hand on her shoulder
Cultural Audits Support Workplace Equity

New York at Work 2021: Annual Report

New York at Work 2021 from the New York State School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University provides ILR expertise, research-based data and policy analysis on a broad range of key issues impacting New York state’s workers, unions and employers.
cover graphic for New York at Work 2021 report
New York at Work 2021: Annual Report

New Report: New Yorkers Indicate That Retaliation Prevents Them From Exposing Workplace Dangers

Workers in NY are more likely than those in the rest of the country to feel pressure to refrain from reporting workplace problems such as sexual harassment and health and safety violations to avoid employer retaliation, according to analysis from the National Employment Law Project and the Worker Institute.
Sexual Harassment Complaint Form
New Report: New Yorkers Indicate That Retaliation Prevents Them From Exposing Workplace Dangers

Use the School District COVID-19 Tracker to understand pandemic patterns

Use the School District COVID-19 Tracker as an interactive mapping tool to understand the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on New York State.
screenshot illustrating the mapping features of the tracker
Use the School District COVID-19 Tracker to understand pandemic patterns